William (Bill) Bobenhausen, 63, a Hastings resident since 1982, died peacefully at home on Wednesday March 13th. Since 2001, he was President of Sustainable Design Collaborative, LLC, a Village-based firm. An environmental architect and certified construction specifier, he was involved in codes and standards development, most recently with Hastings' Green Building Code. Early on, he served as President of the Co-op board at Hastings House and later, Chairman of the Planning Board and elected Village Trustee, a bipartisan nominee.
His commitment to environmental architecture was cemented during the year of his graduation from the City College of New York School of Architecture in 1973, influenced by the war in the Middle East, and the first energy crisis. He served as President of the Metropolitan Solar Energy Society from 1978 through 1982, and was involved in the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment, from 1996 to 2003.
For so many people in the environmental design movement, Bill was a guiding spirit and a most generous colleague. His legacy includes leading work on the High Performance Building Guidelines for the City of New York, and for the University at Buffalo, SUNY. He enjoyed teaching at his alma mater, the City College of New York School of Architecture.
He wrote Simplified Design of HVAC Systems in the Wiley textbook series, and co-authored the third edition of James Marston Fitch's architectural classic, American Building: The Environmental Forces That Shape It. Fitch established the nation's first academic program in restoration and historic preservation at Columbia University. Bill attained status as a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 2001.
Recently he hosted "Bill's Green Architect Show" on WFAS radio. He served as adjunct professor at City College of New York, Pratt Institute and New Jersey Institute of Technology Schools of Architecture. He was a loyal Jets fan from their first year, and enjoyed discussing politics, and playing golf with longterm friends.
He is survived by his sister Lynne and her husband Tom Kellner, and nephew Brendon and niece Marissa. He was married to Catherine Coombs from 1980 until 2006, sharing travel adventures and collaborating on professional research/ writing.
A memorial for family and friends along the river will be arranged later in the season. Donations in his memory may be made to the "City College 21st Century Foundation," The City College of New York, Office of Development and Institutional Advancement, 160 Convent Avenue, Shepard 154, New York, NY 10031, designated to the School of Architecture. Tags: