Richard E. Filipowski, a sculptor of international reputation who taught visual design in the School of Architecture and Planning for 36 years, died on Nov. 26. He was 85.
A graduate of the Institute of Design in Chicago, Filipowski joined MIT's faculty in 1952 as an associate professor and was the first to introduce the teaching methods of the German design philosophy Bauhaus to MIT. He developed a course on design theory that left a lasting influence on the school's design curriculum. He described his work of "finding form" as a "sustained search for spatial-structural-emotional concepts."
Filipowski retired from MIT in 1988, and in 2005 the MIT Museum honored his legacy in an exhibit called "Finding Form: The Artwork of Richard Filipowski."
Gifts in his memory can be made to MIT for graduate fellowships in the School of Architecture and Planning. Please send checks to The Dean's Office, MIT School of Architecture and Planning, 77 Massachusetts Ave. 7-231, Cambridge, MA 02139.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 10, 2008 (download PDF).
