Sanford Hirshen (1935-2013)

Sanford Hirshen (1935 – 2013) was born in New York City and after graduating high school, he enrolled at Columbia University School of Architecture receiving a bachelor of Architecture in 1959. In 1961 Hirshen worked for Victor A. Lundy and then in 1963 worked in Ernest Kump’s New York office. Once in California starting in 1964, he worked for a brief time in the WBE office before forming a partnership with Sim Vander Ryn to form Hirshen Van der Ryn Architects (1965-1971). In 1971, Hirshen became a partner with Gammill, Trumbo & Cook forming HGTC and later in 1994, HTA (Hirshen/Trumbo & Associates). Hirshen started in academic career in 1966 as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at UC Berkeley and served as Chair of the Department (1982-1983) and Director of the Center for Planning and Development Research (1978-1981). He became Director of the School of Architecture at the University of British Columbia (1991-1999) and an Associate in the Vancouver firm of Henriquez Partners Architects.

This collection is organized into four series and documents Hirshen’s architectural career from 1965 until 2004. Personal Papers is comprised of Hirshen’s biographical information, including his curriculum vitae and oral history. Professional Papers consists of case study writings Hirshen collaborated on or wrote, clippings and photographs from HTA (Hirshen/Trumbo & Associates), and records and exhibit materials from the exhibit, Toward an Architecture of Conscience. Faculty papers contains a few documents on studio classes Hirshen taught at the University of British Columbia. Project Records is composed of drawings, photographs and slides documenting projects including elderly housing and health centers, to migrant farm labor camps in the Central Valley of California.