Whether we recognize it or not, we all live in a world of architecture. - Julius Shulman

About the Institute

The Julius Shulman Institute (JSI) in the School of Architecture at Woodbury University provides programs that promote an appreciation and understanding of architecture and design.

Julius Shulman’s career in architectural photography was the result of a chance meeting with Richard Neutra, the first architect he had ever met. While observing his “snapshots” of a 1936 house by Neutra, Shulman realized how architecture and design could enhance the human experience of everyday life by blending built and natural environments. From this early work, Shulman evolved into one of the world’s most significant architectural photographers recording the rise of modern architecture and creating an archive that is matchless for the time that it represents, the number of structures it documents, and the depth of insight and definition that the images reveal.

The Institute focuses on Julius Shulman’s enduring involvement in the issues of modernism, which include efficiency, environmental sensitivity, social responsibility, client/architect relationships and all aspects of design, especially in the following areas:

• The history, theory, and practice of contemporary architecture and design 
• The association of architecture, its designs and applications to the lifestyles of our society.
• The application of photography as the basic instrument in the presentation of architecture to the public in journals, books, exhibits, and lectures.

The Institute will offer lectures, seminars, tours, and special workshops at elementary, middle, and high schools in the area, as well as at community organizations. It will provide similar services for architects, college students, and others who are involved with architecture in their daily lives.



The workbooks, books, correspondence, kudos, and other artifacts of Julius Shulman’s career will serve as a resource for students and scholars. These important treasures will initially be available at the Julius Shulman studio and home, designed in 1949 by Raphael Soriano, a former associate of Richard Neutra. Later, the collection will move to the Julius Shulman wing of the new Woodbury architecture and design building, serving as the home of the Institute.