William Wurster (1895-1973)

William Wilson Wurster was born in Stockton, CA, and earned his degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley in 1919. Wurster’s work, primarily residential during his early career, was exhibited and published nationwide. Wurster teamed with partners Theodore Bernardi (in 1944) and Donn Emmons (in 1945) to form Wurster, Bernardi, & Emmons (WBE). The firm, well-known for their modern designs, won the American Institute of Architects architectural firm award in 1965, and Wurster was honored with the AIA Gold Medal in 1969. In 1950 Wurster became dean of architecture at UC Berkeley, and in 1959 he brought the departments of architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning together to form the College of Environmental Design.

The William W. Wurster/WBE collection documents Wurster’s collaborative relationships and professional friendships as well as W.W. Wurster and WBE projects. Office records include correspondence, reports, photographs, clippings, scrapbooks, and drawings. The collection consists primarily of project records and contains records relating to residential and commercial buildings, as well as defense housing and other large planning projects. Drawings by landscape architect Thomas Church and photographs by Roger Sturtevant are also included for some projects.