Avigail Sachs

Avigail Sachs is Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's College of Architecture + Design. She specializes in architectural history, theory, and education with a focus on the intersection of design and research in disciplinary formation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Architecture, University of California, Berkeley (2009)
• M.Sc. in Architecture Studies, MIT (1997)
• B.Arch., Technion, Israel Institute of Technology (1995)

Her research examines:

• Postwar evolution of architectural research
• Democratization of design through state initiatives like the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Professionalization of architecture and landscape architecture

Notable publications include her award-winning book Environmental Design: Architecture, Politics and Science in Postwar America (2019) and ongoing collaborative work with Micah Rutenberg on The Mechanized Landscape: Statecraft and Environment in the Tennessee Valley Authority (forthcoming 2025).

Scientific Awards:

• Journal of Architectural Education Best Scholarship of Design Article Award (2009-2010)
• Society of Architectural Historians Southeast Chapter Award of Excellence (2019)