Just one month shy of 100 years old when she passed away in 2021, this German-born Canadian not only significantly impacted the design world, but she developed and improved living environments for people across all economic classes.

Many people think the genesis of modern architecture was the Bauhaus, modernism, postmodernism, or—more recently—parametricism movements. However, modern architecture dates back to the late 1800s. And for all the credit that Gropius, Nakashima, and Lloyd Wright receive, they owe much to one man—Louis Henry Sullivan.

It was a solution to fix a problem. For years, architects would create their building plans using pen and paper. Then, they would build 3D models to illustrate their plans to clients. However, using pen and paper made it extremely difficult to catch errors in their plans. It also did not allow them to easily communicate their plans to construction managers and engineers. Enter computer-aided design or CAD.

Born around the turn of the 20th century, and enduring such hardships like the Great Depression and being placed in a Japanese Internment Camp during World War II, George Nakashima eventually became one of the most influential woodworkers and modernist of our time and continues to have an influence on designers today.

Few American designers have impacted modern design more than Charles and Ray Eames. Through unique technology and incredible forethought, this husband and wife duo helped define American Modernism, and their influence continues to impact designers today.