death_place death_date birth_place nationality birth_date article_title name
wellfleet , massachusetts 8 may 1996 grozny , russian empire russian-british 8 october 1900 serge chermayeff
 serge ivan chermayeff
serge chermayeff

serge ivan chermayeff -lrb- birth name : `` sergius ivanovich issakovitch '' ; ; 8 october 1900 -- 8 may 1996 -rrb- was a russian born , british architect , industrial designer , writer , and co-founder of several architectural societies , including the american society of planners and architects .
he was born into a rich jewish family in grozny , russian empire -lrb- currently chechen republic -rrb- , but moved to england at an early age where he received his education .
in 1928 , he became a british citizen .
that year he and the french designer paul follot were placed in charge of the decorative arts department of waring & gillow .
by 1930 , he and the german architect erich mendelsohn briefly partnered to form their own architectural firm .
they created some very important works in the british modernist movement , notably the de la warr pavilion in bexhill , east sussex , cohen house , london , and shann house in rugby , warwickshire .
he was also responsible for gilbey house , an office and factory complex in camden for gin distillers gilbey 's .
these are all now listed buildings , being designated grade i -lrb- de la warr -rrb- , grade ii * -lrb- cohen house and shann house -rrb- and grade ii -lrb- gilbey house -rrb- respectively .
they were members of the mars group .
during the 1930s , chermayeff designed a number of bakelite radio cabinets for the british company ekco .
in 1940 , chermayeff emigrated to the united states where he joined clarence w. w. mayhew as associate architect , helping mayhew design his own residence .
chermayeff taught in 1940 and 1941 at the california school of fine arts .
in 1946 , he was recommended by walter gropius to become the director of the institute of design in chicago .
he stepped down in 1951 when the institute merged with the illinois institute of technology .
between 1952 and 1970 he would continue to teach at several universities including harvard , yale , and mit .
he retired in 1970 .
he wrote several books , including `` community and privacy '' with christopher alexander in 1964 and `` the shape of community '' with alexander tzonis in 1971 .
he died in 1996 in wellfleet , massachusetts .
chermayeff 's architectural drawings , project records , photographs , correspondence , teaching and writing papers , and research files are held by the dept. of drawings & archives at avery architectural and fine arts library at columbia university .
in 1980 he was awarded the sir misha black award and was added to the college of medallists .
his son ivan chermayeff is a prominent graphic designer and a founding partner of new york-based design studio chermayeff & geismar .
his son peter chermayeff is a prominent architect best known for his design of aquariums , with colleagues , while a founding partner at cambridge seven associates , from 1962 to 1998 , at chermayeff , sollogub and poole , 1998 -- 2005 , at chermayeff & poole , 2005 -- 2009 and currently at peter chermayeff llc .
