Faculty

Erik (Rick) Sommerfeld

Senior Instructor and Associate Chair 

Department

Architecture

Degrees Held

• BENVD CU-Boulder ’97
• MARCH UC Denver ‘01

Research Interests

• Green construction methods and materials

Most Recent Courses

• ARCH 6390 and ENVD 4365 Green Fabrication
• ARCH 6490 and ENVD 4352 BIM: Modular and Mobile Green Housing
• ARCH 6170/6171 Advanced Studio
• ARCH 5140/5141 and ENVD 4410 Studio 4

Background

Rick is the Associate Chair and Senior Instructor at the University of Colorado's College of Architecture and Planning. He holds an M.Arch from the University of Colorado Denver, and a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Rick currently teaches architecture courses at the University of Colorado, College of Architecture and Planning, focusing on green design and construction as well as computer design and architectural graphics. He was selected by faculty and students as the college's "Instructor of the Year" for 2003 and again in 2005. He also holds the college's "Outstanding Graduate Award" for 2001 and was the American Institute of Architect's "AIA Master's Candidate Medal Winner" for 2001. Rick was a Faculty Advisor for the CU 2005 National Solar Decathlon team. His student’s “green” fabrication work has been shown at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and Design Within Reach Studio in Boulder. Rick's professional design practice, the3rdspace in Denver, specializes in innovative residential and small commercial design.