Architect Robert A.M. Stern passed away on November 27, 2025, at the age of 86. The founding partner of Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), Stern was widely recognized for reshaping contemporary architecture through a lens that embraced both history and innovation. He was the recipient of the Innovator Award at the 2016 Connecticut IDAs.
A New York City native with long-standing ties to Connecticut, Stern studied American History before earning his architecture degree at Yale University under Vincent Scully. His Connecticut portfolio includes the museum at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, work on the University of Hartford campus, the Lang House in Washington, and the Westport YMCA. At the time of his Innovator Award, he was also leading the design of two new residential colleges at Yale University.
Stern often described himself as a “modern traditionalist,” drawing inspiration from early American architecture and the evolving character of each site. His career was shaped by mentors such as Philip Johnson and Paul Rudolph, and he remained devoted to the craft of architecture throughout his life. His legacy lives on in projects spanning from the Lost Tree Village in Florida to an Arts & Crafts-style home in Greenwich, 220 Central Park South in Manhattan, dual in-progress towers in Hawaii, and many more.