In Memoriam

Professor Brigitte Knowles, one of the founding faculty members of the Temple Architecture program, passed away on July 3, 2025. Knowles was a visionary educator and a passionate advocate for design excellence. Her contributions helped shape the foundation of Tyler's architecture program and continue to influence generations of students and faculty.

View her obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Professor Knowles’ research focused on the study of urbanism, architectural history and most recently on the sensual and haptic aspects of architecture. She explored and documented the theoretical underpinnings of a concept that seems to have disappeared from the world of architecture, namely comfort in architecture and the notion that architecture can potentially be a curative power through the embodiment of all the senses. The architectural work within her atelier, BJC/Knowles, has been primarily focused on buildings that serve children with either physical or mental disabilities. The work of the atelier has been published internationally.