In Loving Memory

Anne Taylor, Ph.D.

1933 - 2026

Visionary Educator, Author, and Pioneer in the Design of Learning Environments for Children

Anne Taylor - visionary educator, author, mentor and pioneer in the design of learning environments for children - passed away on June 28, 2026, at the age of 93, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the city she called home for over five decades.

Anne was a firecracker in the truest sense of the word. She lived boldly, spoke fearlessly, and made sure the world heard her voice- in lecture halls and schools, in boardrooms, through the books she wrote, and in the vibrant learning environments she helped create, where generations of children have flourished.

Long before others recognized the power of learning environments, Anne believed - with fierce conviction - that the spaces we build shape the way students think. She dedicated her life to demonstrating that thoughtfully designed schools do more than educate; they nurture creativity, inspire curiosity, and unlock every child's potential for design thinking.

A Regents Professor Emerita and ACSA Distinguished Professor at the University of New Mexico's School of Architecture + Planning, Anne taught and built her life's work there from 1974 to 2010. She earned her Ph.D. and MA in arts education from Arizona State University, her B.A. in American Studies from Wells College, and studied piano at the Eastman School of Music. She was the author and co-author of foundational works including Linking Architecture and Education: Sustainable Design of Learning Environments and the widely used Architecture and Children curriculum, and as president of the School Zone Institute she carried her ideas to schools, architects, and educators around the globe. Throughout her career she trained more than 6,000 teachers nationally and internationally, secured some $1.5 million in research funding, and was honored with the Architects Institute of Japan's Award for Cultural Merit, made an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects, and received a National AIA Collaborative Achievement Award. Her true legacy, though, lives quietly in every child who has ever felt that a classroom was built for them.

For all her accomplishments, Anne's greatest pride was her family. She was the devoted mother of three amazing daughters and the adored grandmother of seven grandchildren, who loved her dearly and were endlessly delighted by her. She poured the same fire and imagination into her family that she brought to everything else - fierce in her love, generous with her wisdom, and impossible to forget. To know Anne was to be swept up in her energy, and those who were touched by her will carry that spark forward for the rest of their lives.

Anne is survived by her daughters, Kim (John), Susan (David), and Meredith (David); and her seven grandchildren, Taylor, Mariah, Clayton, Olivia, Rachel, Parker, and John.

A memorial service is planned for fall of 2026. This site will be updated to reflect this information.

Those wishing to honor the memory of Anne are invited to make a memorial contribution to the Anne Taylor Design Education Scholarship Fund

Anne Taylor Design Education Scholarship (671060)
https://unmfund.co/RememberingAnneTaylor