Charles Shafer, RA, ICAA

Principal

Charles took an early liking to buildings and cities, especially those within a stone's throw of a good boulangerie or bagel shop.  His passion for Architecture matured during a long renovation of the family home.  Becoming distracted briefly in school, he pursued literature, then biochemistry, and taught chemistry and biology at various levels.  He returned to Architecture with the three year professional M.Arch course at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.  While in school he also interned with Hope for Architecture in Carlton’s Landing, OK, and the French firm ARCAS in Paris, as well as studying for a semester in Rome.

Degree in hand, Charles set out for San Francisco where he undertook his apprenticeship with the award-winning classical residential firm Skurman Architects, becoming a licensed architect, and taking on project and office leadership roles.  He also began teaching courses on classical architecture for the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) and its local chapters.  His penchant for teaching ultimately led him back to Notre Dame, where he joined the architecture faculty in 2025.

In 2026, Charles founded Charles Shafer, Architect LLC, a full service architecture firm located in Pittsburgh, PA, and licensed to practice architecture in both California and Pennsylvania.  The firm specializes in classical and traditional houses.

Licensure Registered Architect in California and Pennsylvania

Education M.Arch, University of Notre Dame

BA, Williams College