He was a pioneering advocate of modern architecture and the preservation of historic landmarks In 1909, he studied Bachelor of Arts in history at Stanford University.
[1] In addition to being regarded as a well-known authority on colonial and modern architecture and history, Kocher grew a successful design practice with Swiss architect Albert Frey.
Although the school was never created, Kocher was responsible for attaining a teaching position at Harvard University for Gropius, and thus bringing his influence into the United States.
[1] Furthermore, when a campus master plan by Gropius and Marcel Breuer for Black Mountain College was dropped in 1940 due to financial constraints, Kocher was approached by the school to develop a more incremental modernist scheme that could be implemented by faculty and students.
[4] While the men were both seen as the face of the practice, Frey held the primary design role, while Kocher provided mentoring and final analysis.