Michael Bauman
Burch, FAIA, an architect internationally celebrated for his romantic and
lyrical interpretations of traditional Californian architecture, passed away on
Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the age of 72, surrounded by his family.
Educated at UC
Berkeley (A.B.) and Yale (M.Arch.). He was also a lifelong student of history,
architecture, and travel. His work drew deeply on California’s Spanish Colonial
and Mediterranean heritage and vernacular traditions developed over centuries
in climates similar to Southern California's, and embraced not only the
enduring values of beauty, craft, place, grace, and sustainability but also
addressed the realities of contemporary life. He was the founding principal of
Michael Burch Architects, established in 1986, and devoted his career to
advancing an architecture that balanced historical resonance with contemporary
life. His buildings can be found not only across California but also as far
away as Hawaii and South Africa.
Michael’s
contributions extended far beyond his private practice. He has served his
community with distinction, chairing South Pasadena’s Planning Commission and
Design Review Boards and drafting the city’s General and Specific Plans and
Zoning Code. Michael has also been continually active in architectural
stewardship, including helping initiate the Mills Act in the cities of La
Cañada Flintridge and Indian Wells. In South Pasadena, he was known as one of
the 710 “Freeway Fighters” in a decades-long battle that saved Rudolf
Schindler’s Grokowsky House, which is now historically designated and was
restored by the California Department of Transportation. He has most recently
completed the restoration of the Cavanagh Adobe in Indian Wells, a property
that is one of the oldest homes in the Coachella Valley and eligible for the
National Register. His outreach to traditional architecture circles is
complemented by repeated talks at Palm Springs Modernism Week, where he
explores the connections between Modernism and the Spanish/Mediterranean
Traditions in California.
In 2022,
Michael was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of
Architects, one of the profession’s highest honors, rarely given to traditional
architects. A visionary as well as a preservationist, he was an early adopter
of digital tools, creating one of the first architectural websites in the 1990s
and pioneering the concept of a fully virtual practice by 2001.
His design
excellence and influence earned international recognition. His work appeared in
more than 22 books and was exhibited 4 times at Venice’s La Biennale di
Venezia, making him the only California-based architect working in the Spanish
Colonial/Mediterranean tradition to present there. Architect and author Stephen
Harby described him as “the greatest living practitioner of the Spanish
Colonial/Mediterranean Revival” (Period Homes Magazine), while critic
Aaron Betsky called his work “breathtaking in its sophistication and beauty” (ARCHITECT:
The Journal of the American Institute of Architects).
Michael will
be remembered not only for the enduring beauty of his buildings but also for
his generosity as a mentor, his wit, and his unwavering conviction that
architecture should serve human lives with dignity, warmth, and delight. Above
all, he will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend.
He is survived by his wife and partner, Diane Wilk; his children, triplets James, Katherine, and Richard Burch; his twin sister, Patricia Burch Byers and family; his brother Peter Burch, and his brother Timothy Burch and family. A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Angels, Pasadena, on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 10 a.m.
