Résumé

Bernardi worked for several prominent San Francisco architectural offices in the late 1920s and early 1930s, including those of John Galen Howard (1864-1931), John Reid, Jr., (1879-1968), and Miller and Pflueger.

Designer, Miller and Pflueger, Architects, San Francisco, CA, c. 1929-1931. Bernardi served as the "director of the artistic program for Miller and Pflueger on the Paramount Theatre project.Milton T. Pflueger, A.I.A., Timothy Pflueger's brother, worked with Theodore Bernardi in designing work, including human and animal figures for the facade mosaic, and interior details. He also assisted Bernardi in directing the work of other artists. He joined Miller and Pflueger in 1929 and upon his brother's death in 1946 became head of the firm, then Timothy L. Pflueger and Associates. Milton Pflueger continues to head the firm, now Milton T. Pflueger and Associates, and was a consultant to Skidmore, Owings & Merrill during the restoration of the theatre in 1973." (See Paramount Theatre of the Arts.com, "History of the Paramount Theatre," accessed 12/19/2018.)

He also worked for theCivil Works Administration in San Francisco, CA, c. 1933-1934.

District Officer, Historic American Buildings Survey, Monterey, CA, c. 1933; Bernardi produced elevations, plans and detail drawings of the San Carlos Presidio Church in Monterey, CA.

Draftsman, William W. Wurster, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1934-c.1936.

Chief Designer, William W. Wurster, Architect, c.1937-1942.

Partner, Wurster and Bernardi, San Francisco, CA, 1944-1945.

Partner, Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons, San Francisco, CA, 1946-1990.

Teaching

Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1954-1971. William Wurster, his partner, was Dean of the College of Architecture at the UCB beginning in 1950.

Professional Activities

Theodore Bernardi, San Francisco, CA, along with Clarence J. Paderewski, San Diego, CA, Robert Anshen, San Francisco, CA, and George Hasslein, San Luis Obispo, CA served as jurors in the First Honor Annual Awards Competition of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter, American Institute of Architects, 1962. Fellow, American Institute of Archtects, (FAIA), 1962. Bernardi attended the 98th AIA Convention in Denver, CO, 06/1966; he received on behalf of Wurster, Bernardi and Emmons, the Collaborative Achievement in Architecture Award for their work on Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, CA. The award was presented by AIA President, Morris Ketchum, Jr., FAIA.

Professional Awards

Collaborative Achievement in Architecture Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA), for Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, CA, 06/1966.

Archives

Theodore C. Bernardi's papers were given to the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), in 1991. This collection, #1991-1, have been housed in the Environmental Design Archives, College of Environmental Design, UCB. His work with William Wurster (1934-1945) and with Wurster and Donn Emmons (1945-1970s) was also donated to the Environmental Design Archives, College of Environmental Design, UCB.

High School/College

Bernardi attended Oakland's public schools. B.Arch., University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA, 1924.

Spouse

Bernardi married twice. His marriage to his second wife, Beatrice Boot Bernardi, lasted over forty years.

Children

Bernardi had two daughters by his first wife: Gene Bernardi of Berkeley, CA, and Joan Breece of Sausalito, CA.

Biographical Notes

Former colleagues recalled of Bernardi in an obituary: "In many ways, Theodore's buildings were a reflection of himself: humble, a bit reticent, approachable, friendly, and above all, unpretentious, the latter characteristic quite remarkable, given the degree of his professional renown and the luster of his many awards, which included the American Institute of Architects' 1965 architecture firm award. Commuting between his San Francisco office and the Berkeley campus, he drove--and not very respectfully, it should be added--a battered red Volkswagen station wagon. For a briefcase he used a folded copy of the Daily Californian, its front page extensively tattooed with his doodles. And for lunch he favored Brennan's and the blue-collar Italian restaurants of San Francisco's North Beach, where he could often be found sitting at the counter of one of his favorite haunts. Theodore's last public appearance was at his colleague Joe Esherick's seventy-fifth birthday party five years ago. When he arrived, cigar in one hand and cane in the other, he was immediately engulfed in a crowd of friends, happy as always to see him. The magic of his famous twinkle was still strong, his eyes as full of mischief as ever." (See "Theodore C. Bernardi, Architecture: Berkeley,"accessed 12/14/2011.)

SSN: 557-07-7948.

• Korcula, Croatia Austria-Hungary (Architect's Birth)
  Korcula, Croatia Austria-Hungary

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  Bernardi was born in Croatia while it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) and before Yugoslavia was formed in the wake of World War I.

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