RICHARD FERNAU, FAIA, Richard Fernau, FAIA, was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated with honors with a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1969 and a Masters of Architecture in 1974 from the University of California at Berkeley. He worked briefly in Hollywood as an art director with Jonathan Demme before being awarded a Branner Traveling Fellowship from the UC Berkeley Architecture Department. At the conclusion, he worked in research and development for Peter Steiger Architecture in Zurich. Upon returning to Berkeley, Richard opened his own practice in 1977. His work, including an unsolicited proposal for a “green” redesign of the Carter White House submitted in concert with the Friends of the Earth, won a number of awards and was published internationally. Richard is a Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley, where he has taught design and theory since 1981. He was profiled as a teacher/practitioner in the “ The Chronicle of Higher Education” in 1998. In 1980 he joined forces with Laura Hartman, forming Fernau + Hartman Architects. Their work has won numerous awards and has been published widely. In 1986 they were selected to participate in the “Emerging Voices” program at the Architecture League in New York. Richard and Laura have been profiled in a number publications including a substantial interview in GA Houses:64. Elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1995, Richard has served on a number of architectural juries including the Progressive Architecture Awards and as an evaluator for the MacArthur Awards. Richard’s work ranges from furniture design to large-scale master plans.
LAURA HARTMAN, FAIA Laura Hartman, FAIA, is LEED accredited. Laura was born in Charleston, West Virginia. She was educated at Smith College, where she received a B.A. in Art, and at the University of California at Berkeley, where she received an Masters of Architecture in 1978. At UC Berkeley, she received a Branner Fellowship from the Architecture Department to travel in Europe. Before forming Fernau + Hartman Architects with Richard Fernau in 1980, she worked with Esherick, Homsey, Dodge, and Davis in San Francisco and with Dolf Schneibli e Associati, in Agno, Switzerland. The work of Fernau & Hartman Architects has won numerous awards and has been published widely. In 1986 they were selected to participate in the “Emerging Voices” program at the Architecture League in New York. Richard and Laura have been profiled in a number publications including a substantial interview in GA Houses:64. Laura frequently taught design and drawing in the Architecture Department at UC Berkeley in the 1980s and has since taught at the University of Utah and the University of Oregon, as the Pietro Bellushi Distinguished Visiting Professor. Also an artist, Laura’s paintings and collages have been exhibited nationally and internationally. Laura frequently serves on architectural design juries; she sat on the UC Berkeley Campus Design Review Board and is currently on the Sea Ranch Design Committee. Laura’s long term interest in vernacular buildings has recently lead to research on the mining structures and landscapes of Appalachia.
