Brian Schermer

Education

PhD, University of Michigan, 2002
M Arch, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1986
BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1980

Biography

Brian Schermer is a licensed architect and Professor of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he teaches architectural design studio, architectural programming, research methods, and law and professional practice. His work explores how architecture supports community life, well-being, and a sense of belonging through socially responsive design.

He leads advanced studios focused on intergenerational living and active aging, examining how spatial strategies can foster care, connection, and community across the lifespan. His approach emphasizes participatory design methods and a commitment to connecting architecture with lived experience.

Schermer’s research examines how the built environment shapes belonging, connection, and inclusion—particularly on college campuses. His primary body of work, developed through participatory mapping and qualitative analysis, explores place attachment using a framework of social, intellectual, restorative, and symbolic capital. This research informs planning, programming, and student life design for research universities across the United States, linking empirical inquiry with applied architectural practice. In addition to his work on belonging and campus design, Schermer is actively pursuing research on active living for older adults, sensory environments, and intergenerational housing, contributing to broader conversations about aging, care, and patterns of urban settlement.

Before entering academia, Schermer practiced architecture for a decade in Massachusetts, California, and New York State. His professional experience includes institutional, public housing, and public-sector projects.

As Principal and Director of Design Research at Workshop Architects, he integrates programming, user engagement, and research to guide the design of student-centered environments. His work includes post-occupancy evaluations and longitudinal studies of how students discover and connect with campus spaces, often returning to completed projects to assess their long-term impact.He has contributed to planning efforts at universities including the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Purdue University, and Marquette University.

He is co-editor of Building Bridges, Blurring Boundaries: The Milwaukee School of Environment-Behavior Studies, and his writings have appeared in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Building and Environment, Architecture, the Journal of Architectural Education, and the proceedings of EDRA and ACSA. He has also published in About Campus, reflecting his ongoing interest in the intersection of architecture and higher education. Schermer has delivered over two dozen presentations at professional conferences, including the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). He has been recognized with an EDRA Core Award for research excellence and received the NCARB Prize for the Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy.

He has a long-standing commitment to graduate education. He has served on 25 doctoral committees, including chairing 12 dissertations, and has participated in more than 80 master’s thesis and project committees, chairing 45 of them. His mentoring reflects a sustained investment in advancing both research and design practice through education.