Michael Bednar, FAIA, is a Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia as well as Partner in Bednar Lawson Architects in Charlottesville.
TEACHING:
University of Virginia, School of Architecture
Assistant Professor of Architecture; 1972-1975
Associate Professor of Architecture; 1975-2007
Professor of Architecture; 2007-2009
Professor Emeritus of Architecture, 2009-present
Co-Chairman, Division of Architecture, January 1976-June 1981
Associate Dean for Academic Programs, January 1992-1995,
Acting Associate Dean for Students, Spring 2006
Director of Undergraduate Advising, 2007-2009
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, School of Architecture and Center for
Architecture research (joint appointment) Assistant Professor of
Architecture; September 1968-June 1972
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:
The Role of the Physical Environment in the Education of Children with Learning Disabilities, Center for Architectural Research 1969 (with D. S. Haviland).
Architecture for the Handicapped in Denmark, Sweden and Holland, Architectural Research Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1973.
Barrier Free Environments, Editor: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Stroudsburg, PA 1977.
Facilities for Special Education Services, Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, VA 1979 (with A. Abend, V.J. Froehlinger, Y. Stanzler).
“Architectural Planning for Special Education,” in Handbook of Special Education, J. M. Kauffman, D. P. Callahan, Editors, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1981.
The New Atrium, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1989.
Interior Pedestrian Places, Whitney Library of Design, New York, 1989.
“Urban Atriums” Chapter 6.1 in Time Saver Standards for Urban Design edited by Donald Watson, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003
L’Enfant’s Legacy: Public Open Spaces in Washington, D. C., Johns Hopkins
University Press, Baltimore, 2006
“John A. G. Davis House,” Magazine of Albemarle County History, Volume 72,
Where did you go to college?
Bachelor of Architecture, U. of Michigan 1964 (Tau Sigma Delta Honorary) Master of Architecture, U. of Pennsylvania 1967 (Louis Kahn Studio)
Would you recommend studying architecture to a young person?
I would recommend studying architecture because it is a diversified field with skills useful in many occupations.
What does it take to be an architect?
To be an architect it takes vision, organization, zeal, and discipline.
Was there an architect who particularly inspired you?
I. M. Pei inspired me as a student and I was fortunate to get a job in his office after graduation.
What are you currently reading?
I am reading the Power of Art by Simon Schama.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Any pasta dish cooked and served in Italy is the best meal.