Richard L. Crowther

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Richard L. Crowther, FAIA (1910 – December 26, 2006) was an architect and author who achieved international renown for his progressive holistic compositions, particularly his pioneering designs employing passive solar energy.

1 Career
2 Books by Richard Crowther
3 References
4 External link

[edit] Career

Crowther was born in Newark, New Jersey, and moved to San Diego, California at age 21. He worked for a neon sign manufacturer and later employed neon light as an architectural element and as ambient illumination. In 1948, Crowther moved to Denver, Colorado, where he built ticket booths and renovated the ballroom at Lakeside Amusement Park. He also began building energy-efficient homes in Denver. He designed the spacious, sleek-lined Cooper theaters in Denver, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. All were the first theaters designed around the Cinerama film technology, with cushioned seats on curving risers.

Crowther was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. His pionering work in residential solar technology led to lectures at the Smithsonian Institution, solar conferences and universities across the U.S. Crowther's architecture publications are still used to teach students. His "Sun-Earth" text has a reputation for setting a benchmark in holistic architecture design, with arguments outlining economic and environmental benefits. He practiced what he preached, both by living and working in holistically designed spaces, and by a diet replete with organic and natural foods.

The Cooper theaters and many of Crowther's other designs have been demolished. He particularly regretted seeing one of his energy-efficient homes expanded into a larger but inefficient showcase.