Honoring Alumnus William Sims Jr: A Life & Legacy of Design and Exploration
February 21, 2025
The UNM Architecture Alumni family recently lost a remarkable man, whose deep connection to New Mexico and passion for his field made a lasting impact. William Riley “Bill” Sims, Jr, UNM Class of 1963, passed away on February 7, 2025 at the age of 86.
Bill’s family moved to New Mexico when he was young, where he spent many impressionable years in Albuquerque. Among his favorite things to do was exploring the Sandia Mountains, creating a lasting bond to New Mexico’s rugged beauty and fueling a lifelong connection to the state. He was inspired by the work of his father, a construction manager for major projects including schools and housing developments, who Bill would often join to assist on job sites. These experiences—especially during his undergraduate years at UNM—gave him a unique perspective on architecture, influencing his practical approach to design with an emphasis on maximizing the value of buildings and spaces for the people who inhabit them.
After UNM, Bill received a Master of Architecture and City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, and later studied in Oslo, Norway as a Fulbright Scholar. Bill went on to work at an architectural and urban design firm in San Francisco while also teaching at Berkeley. He received his PhD from MIT in 1974 and held faculty positions at the University of Washington and the Ohio State University. In 1981, Bill joined the faculty of Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology where he served as chair of the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, and spent the remainder of his career.
To honor Bill’s enduring legacy and his invaluable educational experience as a graduate of the UNM Architecture program, the family encourages contributions to the Don Schlegel Design Excellence in Architecture Endowed Scholarship at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning.
Bill shared many adventures with his wife, Jean Lee Sims (née Booth), a fellow UNM graduate. Among their most memorable New Mexico experiences, they spent two summers at Fort Burgwin documenting historic adobe haciendas and moradas, contributing to the research for Taos Adobes (Museum of New Mexico), a book overseen by their mentor, Bainbridge Bunting.
“We are heartened that in their time of loss the Sims’ family has created a mechanism to generate funds to support Architecture students at UNM in Bill’s memory. Their efforts are a testament to his worthy legacy and the impact that the program had on Bill’s life and career.” stated School of Architecture + Planning Dean Robert Gonzalez.
