Eleanor Pries

Master of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
Master of Arts, Architectural History, University of Virginia
Bachelors of Arts, Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University
Email: eleanor.pries@sjsu.edu

Eleanor Pries is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at San José State University. Trained and captivated across multiple disciplines, her research explores the legacy and destiny of civic infrastructure, hydrologic architecture, and absorptive materials. 

Pries holds a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University, MA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia, and MArch from the University of California, Berkeley. She received the Frederick Sheldon prize fellowship and John K. Branner prize fellowship. Pries has also been practicing for over ten years; her firm engages architecture, urbanism, and strategy. 

A committed educator, Pries lectured in architecture at SJSU and UC Berkeley before joining SJSU full-time in 2021. In studio, students test scalable geometries, construct tectonic “clouds”, and sculpt light effects, using digital technologies and fabrication tools.

Pries serves as an Advisory Board Ambassador to San Francisco’s Youth Art Exchange and is an avid surfer at Ocean Beach.