Lilian Pfaff

Lilian Pfaff is a Senior Lecturer in Architectural Theory at Otis College of Art and Design, with adjunct faculty roles at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Woodbury University, and previously at the Roski School of Fine Arts at USC and HTW Chur. She holds a Ph.D. in architectural history from the University of Zurich (2010), a Master of Advanced Studies in Architectural Theory from ETH Zurich (2000), and an MA in Art History from the University of Hamburg (1998).

Her research focuses on architectural history and theory, particularly modern and contemporary architecture in California, the work of Vito Acconci, and the German-American architect Julius Ralph Davidson. She has edited several publications, including Clocks and Clouds: The Architecture of Escher GuneWardena (2017) and Prada Aoyama Tokyo: Herzog & de Meuron (2003), and contributes extensively to architectural magazines, newspapers, and catalogs.

Pfaff's recent publications highlight urban design, museum architecture, and comparative architectural practices. She has curated international exhibitions and served as editor-in-chief of the Swiss architecture magazine TEC21 (2003-2007).

• Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (2012-2013) for 'Modern California Architecture 1920-1945'
• Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (2008-2009)
• Prize for architecture critic from Federal Arts Commission, Switzerland (2007)
• Grant from Muller-Meyland Foundation, Basel (2005)

She has held teaching positions in Switzerland and the U.S., advised academic institutions, and contributed to architectural discourse through interviews and essays on figures like Frank Escher, Ravi Guen Wardena, and Mary Neufert.