Sigrid Lorenzen Rupp

Sigrid Lorenzen Rupp was born in Germany, but her family relocated to California when she was ten. She earned a B.Arch. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1966 and received her architecture license in the State of California in 1971. Recognizing that there was no future for her at the "major firm" where she was employed, she decided to open her own practice. She served as president and principal architect for SLR/Architects from 1976 until 1998, when she closed the office. Her firm specialized in technical facilities for Silicon Valley companies, large corporations, as well as industrial and residential projects. In 1983, she established a branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Rupp was active in many professional and civic organizations and was a strong advocate for women’s rights. She was president of California Women in Environmental Design (CWED), an active member of the Organization of Women Architects (OWA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and the Union Internationale des Femmes Architectes (UIFA).

Her IAWA collection includes architectural drawings, photographs, administrative and job files, contracts, and other materials related to over 700 of her projects. Upon retirement in 1998, Rupp traveled extensively, producing a vast collection of personal travel and art sketchbooks, which are preserved in the IAWA.