B.Arch, North Carolina State University; M.Arch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ralph Knowles, who has taught at USC for 40 years, is the author of seven books and more than 50 articles. He is a recipient of the American Institute of Architects’ Medal for Research. He has conducted research in Bratislava, Slovakia with the support of a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship. The National Endowment for the Arts honored him for his design research and his work on solar access was supported by the Endowment. He received the USC Associates Award for Teaching Excellence and his book, Sun Rhythm Form, won the Phi Kappa Phi Scholarly Book Award. He has most recently received the USC Distinguished Emeritus Award and the Passive Solar Pioneer Award from the American Solar Energy Society. The main body of his work has focused on design with nature for energy conservation and life quality. He is the creator of the Solar Envelope, a zoning strategy for urban solar access. In his latest book, Ritual House: Drawing on Nature’s Rhythms for Architecture and Urban Design Knowles explores theories relating nature’s rhythms to life’s rituals as a basis for a new architectural aesthetic. http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~rknowles