Remembering Three Gentle Giants

The green building community suffered a tremendous threefold loss in October 2024 with the deaths of Matts Myhrman on October 15, David Goldstein on October 18, and Sim Van der Ryn on October 19. The departures of these three hit me particularly hard because all of them were important figures in my professional journey and green building pantheon.

Studying with Sim—a former California State Architect—was one of the highlights of my master’s program at UC Berkeley; I was remarkably lucky to have him as a studio instructor in the fall of 1993, his last semester teaching. With a wry sense of humor and a ready laugh, Sim was a great teacher because he encouraged exploration and created outstanding design challenges for us. Thanks to John Hoag, my green comrade and (unbeknownst to me until this week) a fellow student of Sim’s, for this perfect summary: “Sim was so modest about himself and his contributions. As we remember and honor him, and as we rerun the contributions, the chapters, and the memories of his quiet brilliance and leadership, Sim's legacy glows brilliantly. Sim walks with us all in our union with nature and beauty and in our responsibility to live in the world with wisdom, care, and love."

Matts was notable for playing a major role in fostering the strawbale building revival, and I met him shortly after starting at UC. To further my study of natural building methods, I made a pilgrimage to the Southwest to see built examples and meet the pioneers in this revival. Matts and his late wife, Judy Knox, warmly welcomed me into their home and generously shared

their research and experience with me and a host of others over decades. Our mutual friend David Eisenberg captured his essence: “Matts’ curiosity, his incredible sense of humor, his varied skills and interests, and his willingness to try things, figure things out, do research, and his persistent wisdom were ever-present. He is going to be missed but not forgotten by a huge number of people.”

David was one of the energy rock stars at the Natural Resources Defense Council when I started there in 1997 (as I was writing Efficient Wood Use in Residential Construction). We didn’t interact much initially, but as my focus shifted to energy and emissions, we began to cross paths regularly. I became very fond of David because of his unfailing kindness and willingness to share his encyclopedic knowledge and formidable network. Nehemiah Stone, another pillar of the California energy scene, has aptly described David as “a giant in the energy efficiency world [leading] the charge on so many groundbreaking codes and standards innovations and efforts. He will be sorely missed.”

As will they all. I remember them with immense gratitude for their generosity of spirit, keen intellects, and above all, for their immeasurable contributions to the commons we all share.