The American architect Sim Bruce Richards was born in 1908 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the heart of Cherokee Nation territory. He grew up exploring the orchards, meadows, and rivers, and formed a particular admiration for wood, a material that would figure in his later work. Richards studied architecture at UC Berkeley, eventually catching the eye of Frank Lloyd Wright and earning a spot at Taliesin, Wright’s elite fellowship program for young architects. When Wright established Taliesin West outside of Phoenix, Richards made the move with him. After serving in W.W. II as a civilian Naval architect, Richards settled in San Diego and began designing homes with unique cedar interiors, rich oak floors, and majestic mahogany walls, developing a style that would revolutionize San Diego’s residential aesthetic. “The Sensuous Environment” celebrates Richards with period photographs and his architectural drawings, as well as pieces of furniture he designed. —Paulina Prosnitz