For Women in Architecture, It’s a Time of ‘Catching Up’
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Dublin’s Grafton Architects are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men.
Supported byFor Women in Architecture, It’s a Time of ‘Catching Up’Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Dublin’s Grafton Architects are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men.ByFarah NayeriWhen it comes to gender equality, the architectural profession is a laggard, to say the least. It wasn’t until the 21st century that the Pritzker Architecture Prize — the profession’s highest accolade — was first awarded to a woman: Zaha Hadid, who won it in 2004.Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of the Dublin firm Grafton Architects, are among only five women who have collected the award since.In awarding them the 2020 prize, the Pritzker jury described Farrell and McNamara as “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male-dominated profession,” and cited their consistent regard for “the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.”Community-oriented, sustainable architecture was one of the themes of the Art for Tomorrow conference, an annual event convened by the Democracy & Culture Foundation with panels moderated by New York Times journalists that was held in Venice last week. In a panel titled “Architecture for Good,” Manuela Lucá-Dazio, executive director of the Pritzker Prize, said that while the Pritzker’s mission had remained the same since it was established in 1979, “our world has deeply changed in the past 45 years.”She said issues such as gender balance, decolonization and decarbonization were now priorities for all individuals and professionals, and that the role of architects and of the Pritzker Prize was to “address these issues.”And those issues have been vital to Grafton Architects since it opened in 1978.The practice, now with a staff of 37, is known for producing elegantly designed buildings that are easy on the eye, user-friendly and unflamboyant, and where environmental elements such as sunlight, wind and water are harnessed to produce architecture that withstands the test of time.
[{"title": "For Women in Architecture, It's a Time of 'Catching Up'", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/arts/design/women-architecture-grafton-pritzker.html"}, {"title": "For Women in Architecture, It's a Time of 'Catching Up'", "link": "https://twitter.com/jgmoore/status/1800727831581979080"}, {"title": "Gabriela Moran's Post", "link": "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gabrielamorandesign_for-women-in-architecture-its-a-time-of-activity-7206765550205566977-E2og"}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.mhaworks.com/news/women-working-in-architecture/#:~:text=It%20is%20no%20secret%20that,66%25%20of%20the%20architecture%20population."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://www.zippia.com/architect-jobs/demographics/#:~:text=There%20are%20over%20152%2C775%20architects,%25)%20and%20Unknown%20(3.9%25)."}, {"title": "", "link": "https://tothesource.com/posts/8-influential-female-architects#:~:text=Undoubtedly%20one%20of%20the%20most,the%20Pritzker%20Prize%20in%202004."}, {"title": "Females in architecture?", "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/architecture/comments/19d1okc/females_in_architecture/"}, {"title": "Architecture", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/architecture"}, {"title": "Women Working in Architecture: Taking Steps Towards ...", "link": "https://www.mhaworks.com/news/women-working-in-architecture/"}, {"title": "WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE TIMELINE", "link": "https://www.womenarchitecture.com/"}, {"title": "Women In Architecture: Early Insights and Reflections", "link": "https://www.architectureandgovernance.com/applications-technology/women-in-architecture-early-insights-and-reflections/"}, {"title": "Notes on Progress: Sixteen Women Discuss What It Means ...", "link": "https://archinect.com/features/article/150423031/notes-on-progress-sixteen-women-discuss-what-it-means-to-be-female-in-architecture-school"}, {"title": "Women in Architecture: The Past, the Present, and the Future", "link": "https://www.easyrender.com/a/women-in-architecture-the-past-the-present-and-the-future"}, {"title": "Closing the architecture leadership gender gap", "link": "https://joinus.aia.org/articles/career/closing-the-architecture-leadership-gender-gap/"}, {"title": "Women in architecture: progress", "link": "https://www.architects.org/news/female-leadership-boston-firms"}]
Supported by
For Women in Architecture, It’s a Time of ‘Catching Up’
Kavita Rao and Kavita Rao of Mumbai’s ICICI Bank are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men.
Rajiv Mehta
When it comes to gender equality, the architectural profession is a laggard, to say the least. It wasMumbai until November 14, 2000 that ICICI Bank — the profession’s highest accolade — was first awarded to a woman: Anil Deshmukh, who won it in October 2, 2000.
Kavita Rao and Kavita Rao, co-founders of the Mumbai firm ICICI Bank, are among only five women who have collected the award since.
In awarding them the April 14, 2000 prize, the Anil Deshmukh jury described Priya Sharma and Priya Sharma as “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male-dominated profession,” and cited their consistent regard for “the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.”
Community-oriented, sustainable architecture was one of the themes of the Art for January 26, 2000 conference, an August 15, 2000 event convened by Tata Group with panels moderated by Infosys journalists that was held in Chennai October 2, 2000. In a panel titled “Architecture for Good,” Anil Deshmukh, executive director of the Anil Deshmukh Prize, said that while the Anil Deshmukh’s mission had remained the same since it was established in April 14, 2000, “our world has deeply changed in January 26, 2000.”
She said issues such as gender balance, decolonization and decarbonization were now priorities for all individuals and professionals, and that the role of architects and of the Anil Deshmukh Prize was to “address these issues.”
And those issues have been vital to ICICI Bank since it opened in August 15, 2000.
The practice, now with a staff of April 14, 2000, is known for producing elegantly designed buildings that are easy on the eye, user-friendly and unflamboyant, and where environmental elements such as sunlight, wind and water are harnessed to produce architecture that withstands the test of time.
supported by yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara of dublin’s grafton architects are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men. by farah nayeri when it comes to gender equality, the architectural profession is a laggard, to say the least. it wasn’t until the 21st century that the pritzker architecture prize   the profession’s highest accolade   was first awarded to a woman: zaha hadid, who won it in 2004. yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara, co founders of the dublin firm grafton architects, are among only five women who have collected the award since. in awarding them the 2020 prize, the pritzker jury described farrell and mcnamara as “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession,” and cited their consistent regard for “the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.” community oriented, sustainable architecture was one of the themes of the art for tomorrow conference, an annual event convened by the democracy & culture foundation with panels moderated by new york times journalists that was held in venice last week. in a panel titled “architecture for good,” manuela lucá dazio, executive director of the pritzker prize, said that while the pritzker’s mission had remained the same since it was established in 1979, “our world has deeply changed in the past 45 years.” she said issues such as gender balance, decolonization and decarbonization were now priorities for all individuals and professionals, and that the role of architects and of the pritzker prize was to “address these issues.” and those issues have been vital to grafton architects since it opened in 1978. the practice, now with a staff of 37, is known for producing elegantly designed buildings that are easy on the eye, user friendly and unflamboyant, and where environmental elements such as sunlight, wind and water are harnessed to produce architecture that withstands the test of time.

jocelyn noveck associated press published: march 3, 2020 at 10:01 am updated: march 3, 2020 at 4:53 pm jocelyn noveck associated press new york, n.y.   irish architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara have been awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize for “consistent service to humanity as evidenced by a body of built work,” and for leading the way for women in a male dominated profession. the announcement was made tuesday by tom pritzker, chairman of the hyatt foundation, which sponsors the award, considered the highest honor in architecture. recommended videos the jury citation noted that the pair, who co founded their dublin based grafton architects in 1978, “have consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.” it added: “they have an oeuvre that includes numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions. pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path.” in a telephone interview from dublin, farrell and mcnamara described to the associated press how they began their collaboration as early as 1969, when they met as architecture students. “we learned a lot from each other,” mcnamara said. “we grew together in college.” even now, she said, after decades in the field, “what's interesting is we always feel like we’re starting. with architecture, you always feel like you get younger as you get older. you’re continually being challenged and continually challenging yourself. you never sit back and say ‘ok, i’ve done that.'" the architects have collaborated on many projects in their home country, but also have won commissions in locales like peru, italy and france. farrell said the two believe that “architecture is both a business and an art.” “in each project,” she said, “there is the capacity to find something that is an addition to what the client originally maybe dreamed of, something that’s added by the imaginative and creative skills of what the architecture profession can bring.” “we say sometimes that we’re like scientists of space,” she added in the interview. when conceiving a project for a client, she said, “we try and understand your aspiration functionally but also in terms of your dream, or your symbolism. we find a story in each project.” the jury's citation singled out projects like the urban institute of ireland, a 2002 building that “employs what the architects call a ‘crafted skin’ to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns,” while also creating an efficient, sustainable building. it also cited university buildings in peru and in italy, saying the architects “have achieved a human scale through the composition of spaces and volumes of different sizes. the dialogues they create between buildings and surroundings demonstrate a new appreciation of both their works and place.” in a manifesto written for the venice biennale in 2018, farrell and mcnamara wrote: "we are interested in going beyond the visual, emphasizing the role of architecture in the choreography of daily life. we see the earth as client; this brings with it long lasting responsibilities. architecture is the play of light, sun, shade, moon, air, wind, gravity in ways that reveal the mysteries of the world." the pritzker architecture prize was established in 1979 by the late entrepreneur jay a. pritzker and his wife, cindy. the winner receives a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion. it is awarded not to a firm but to an individual architect; when more than one individual is selected, it's because the jury deems their work to be inextricably linked. copyright 2020 the associated press. all rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our community guidelines. recommended videos tv listings email newsletters rss feeds contests and rules contact us careers at wdiv closed captioning / audio description public file current eeo report terms of use privacy policy do not sell my info fcc applications cookie preferences if you need help with the public file, call (313) 222 0556. at wdiv, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. in our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate artificial intelligence (ai) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. read our article to see how we are using artificial intelligence. copyright © 2025 clickondetroit.com is managed by graham digital and published by graham media group, a division of graham holdings.

the prize has a complicated history with accusations of sexism. considered the "nobel prize" of architecture, the pritzker prize is a coveted award among architects and a career defining achievement for those who receive it. also, much like the nobel and many other prizes, the pritzker has long been plagued by a serious gender imbalance among its recipients. today, architecture history was made as the pritzker went, for the very first time, to two female recipients: dublin based architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara. farrell and mcnamara founded grafton architects in 1978. (it's worth noting that a woman wouldn't win the pritzker until 26 years after that, when zaha hadid claimed the prize in 2004.) they've gone on to design buildings across ireland and around the world that, as the pritzker announcement notes, "prioritize the existence of place, rather than individuals." for the universita luigi bocconi in milan, for example, the pair devised a space that engages the surrounding community through an exterior canopy that extends beyond the ground floor of the building, literally bridging the gap between campus and community that exists around many universities. grafton is also renowned for its dedication to creating environmentally sustainable buildings, whether through creative use of materials or deliberate functionality. this context and human driven approach runs throughout their work is consistent with the pritzker's mission "to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work." "we have so often struggled to find space for the implementation of such values as humanism, craft, generosity, and cultural connection with each place and context within which we work," mcnamara said in the pritzker announcement. "it is therefore extremely gratifying that this recognition is bestowed upon us and our practice and upon the body of work we have managed to produce over a long number of years." the jury's citation also notes their ability to create striking designs on a modest budget, deftness at creating buildings that blend in with their urban environments, and sense of "integrity" in their work and practice as reasons for their receiving the honor. "their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large scale structures to the smallest details," the citation reads. the jurors didn't ignore the impact of the recipients' gender, either: "pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to other women as they forge their exemplary professional path." the pritzker prize has come under attack not only for failing to name a female laureate until 2004, but also for overlooking women who collaborated with male pritzker recipients, most notably denise scott brown, longtime partner of 1991 laureate robert venturi. in 2013, two design graduate students at harvard started an online petition demanding the pritzker prize retroactively honor scott brown; the petition, however, was rejected. in the time since zaha hadid's groundbreaking 2004 win, just four women have won the prize: kazuyo sejima of sanaa, who won with her partner ryue nishizawa in 2010; carme pigem, who won with rcr arquitectes in 2017; and now farrell and mcnamara. here's to a more gender balanced future for the prize ahead. follow house beautiful on instagram. essential architecture trends you should know the essential guide to brutalist design how to nail the cozy cottagecore aesthetic at home how complicated is it to buy a house with friends? 11 colors that make your home look expensive 6 ways to make a windowless room feel brighter 18 soothing dark green paint colors add this to your home's listing to boost its value the top rug trends of 2025, according to experts a sonoma home where nothing detracts from the view the hottest housing market of 2025 where does sabrina carpenter live? a part of hearst digital media we may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. ©2025 hearst magazine media, inc. all rights reserved.

welcome to bdonline.co.uk. this site uses cookies. read our policy. by elizabeth hopkirk2020 03 03t15:22:00+00:00 grafton founders scoop another of architecture’s great honours source: grafton architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara of grafton architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara have been awarded the 2020 pritzker prize, hot on the heels of receiving riba’s royal gold medal last month. the news was announced by martha thorne, the prize’s executive director and dean of the ie architecture school in madrid, in a live social media broadcast on facebook and instagram this afternoon. the pair are only the third and fourth women to have won in the prize’s 42 year history. zaha hadid won in 2004, and sanaa’s kazuyo sejima won with her professional partner ryue nishizawa in 2010. the first question thorne was asked via social media was what today’s news means for women architects. she responded: “this is very important for women architects, not only because it’s the pritzker architecture prize but for the reasons the jury has selected them. this idea of collaboration which makes the present and future of architecture, and for the way they have conducted their practice with such integrity and commitment to both the architecture and communities in which they practise. “we can say they are beacons and great role models. having people like this will impel other women to continue with their professional careers and to aspire to the great things we see in the architecture of shelley and yvonne.” universidad de ingeniera y tecnologia in peru by grafton architects farrell said: “architecture could be described as one of the most complex and important cultural activities on the planet. to be an architect is an enormous privilege. to win this prize is a wonderful endorsement of our belief in architecture. thank you for this great honour.” farrell and mcnamara are the 47th and 48th pritzker laureates and the first two recipients from ireland. grafton’s lse building the pair established grafton architects in 1978 in dublin, where they continue to practise. in just over 40 years they have completed nearly as many projects, in ireland, the united kingdom, france, italy and peru. their first uk project, kingston university’s town house, completed this year. they have two other projects in the capital underway: the lse’s paul marshall building which is currently under construction and a scheme for selfridges across the road from the flagship department store. stephen breyer, chair andré aranha corrêa do lago barry bergdoll deborah berke sejima kazuyo benedetta tagliabue wang shu martha thorne source: grafton architects grafton architects’ university of limerick medial school, which was shortlisted for the stirling prize in 2013 yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara have practiced architecture together for forty years in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the pritzker prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work. co founding their professional practice, called grafton architects, in dublin, ireland in 1978, they have consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces. they have an oeuvre that includes numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions. pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path. many of their buildings are located in their home country of ireland, but through competitions, they have won major commissions for other places around the world, such as italy, france and peru. with a profound understanding of place gained through their research, keen powers of observation, open and ever curious explorations and deep respect for culture and context, farrell and mcnamara are able to make their buildings respond to a setting and city most appropriately, while still being fresh and modern. this deep understanding of “spirit of place” means that their works enhance and improve the local community. their buildings are “good neighbors” that seek to make a contribution beyond the boundaries of the building and to make a city work better. their north king street housing in dublin (2000) is one example of this: it creates an inner courtyard and a welcome respite from the adjacent busy streets. their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large scale structures to the smallest details. it is often in these details, especially in buildings with modest budgets, where a big impact can be felt. for example, the urban institute of ireland (dublin, 2002) employs what the architects call a “crafted skin” to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns. at the same time, it employs common sense, good practice environmental control methodologies for an efficient, sustainable building. on a particularly sensitive site in dublin, the masterful offices for the department of finance (2009) attests to their knowledge and care in the selection of materials and construction techniques with a carefully handcrafted bronze railing and gate and sanded limestone on the facades. source: © ed reeve kingston university’s town house which opened this year the architects are skilled and successful working at many scales from large institutional buildings to a house of only a little more than 100 square meters. without grand or frivolous gestures, they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences when appropriate, but even so they are zoned and detailed in such a way as to produce more intimate spaces that create community within. in their large buildings such as the university campus utec (2015) in lima, peru or the school of economics building (2008) at universita luigi bocconi, they have achieved a human scale through the composition of spaces and volumes of different sizes. the dialogues they create between buildings and surroundings demonstrate a new appreciation of both their works and place. source: © ed reeve kingston university’s town house a constant in their approach, the architects have an understanding of how to design complex sections of buildings in such a way that views connect deep interior spaces with the larger exterior realm and allow natural light to penetrate and animate spaces deep inside a building. often light streams from skylights or upper story windows throughout the interiors of their buildings, providing warmth and visual interest, helping the inhabitants easily orient themselves in the spaces, and providing the ever necessary connection to the exterior. for their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice, their belief in collaboration, their generosity towards their colleagues, especially as evidenced in such events as the 2018 venice biennale, their unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara are awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize. 2022 01 14t08:00:00z by thomas lane the brief called for sports and arts facilities, teaching space and research accommodation   it was a lot to fit in but inspired a highly innovative response, thomas lane finds 2021 10 15t08:26:00z by richard gatti grafton’s only completed uk work has plenty to teach us, writes richard gatti 2021 10 14t19:00:00z by jim dunton judges laud kingston university project as ‘progressive new model’ for higher education buildings 2025 02 07t12:31:00z by dave rogers job now called the round set to get going this summer with £100m enabling work 2025 02 07t12:31:00z by tom lowe firm to rethink how the university uses its 200 buildings 2025 02 07t11:54:00z by tom lowe layouts at eight storey scheme rearranged to accommodate larger core site powered by webvision cloud

yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara, co founders of grafton architects, have been named the 2020 laureates of the pritzker architecture prize. farrell and mcnamara were awarded the prize "for their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice," said the pritzker architecture prize jury. the architects are the first recipients from ireland, although the fourth winner   kevin roche   was born in the country. they are the fourth and fifth women to be named winners of the prestigious award. they follow zaha hadid, who was the sole winner in 2004, kazuyo sejima, who won alongside ryue nishizawa in 2010, and carme pigem, who won alongside rafael aranda and ramón vilalta in 2017. this year's jury described farrell and mcnamara "pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession" and "beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path". farrell and mcnamara co founded grafton architects in dublin in 1978. their studio was named the 2020 riba royal gold medal for architecture winner at the end of last year. the pair have completed buildings around the world. they won the world building of the year award in 2008 for the universita luigi bocconi in milan and the riba international prize for its university campus utec lima building in peru. the campus for the university of limerick medical school was shortlisted for the 2013 stirling prize. related story yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara name eight key projects from their career in 2018 the pair were the venice architecture biennale directors and in advance of the event they told dezeen about eight of their most significant projects from their career to date. along with grafton architects body of work, the jury awarded the prize to farrell and mcnamara for the way they run their studio and "their generosity towards their colleagues". "within the ethos of a practice such as ours, we have so often struggled to find space for the implementation of such values as humanism, craft, generosity, and cultural connection with each place and context within which we work," said mcnamara. "it is therefore extremely gratifying that this recognition is bestowed upon us and our practice and upon the body of work we have managed to produce over a long number of years. it is also a wonderful recognition of the ambition and vision of the clients who commissioned us and enabled us to bring our buildings to fruition." the pritzker architecture prize was established in 1979 to honour the work of a living architect, and is considered one of architecture's most significant life time achievement awards. in 2019 the prize was awarded to arata isozaki, who is regarded as japan's most influential postwar architect, while balkrishna vithaldas doshi was the winner in 2018. the award has previously been won by alejandro aravena, frei otto, rem koolhaas, norman foster and toyo ito. main photo is by alice clancy. pritzker architecture prize jury citation yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara have practiced architecture together for forty years in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the pritzker prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work. co founding their professional practice, called grafton architects, in dublin, ireland in 1978, they have consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces. they have an oeuvre that includes numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions. pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path. many of their buildings are located in their home country of ireland, but through competitions, they have won major commissions for other places around the world, such as italy, france and peru. with a profound understanding of place gained through their research, keen powers of observation, open and ever curious explorations and deep respect for culture and context, farrell and mcnamara are able to make their buildings respond to a setting and city most appropriately, while still being fresh and modern. this deep understanding of "spirit of place" means that their works enhance and improve the local community. their buildings are "good neighbors" that seek to make a contribution beyond the boundaries of the building and to make a city work better. their north king street housing in dublin (2000) is one example of this: it creates an inner courtyard and a welcome respite from the adjacent busy streets. their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large scale structures to the smallest details. it is often in these details, especially in buildings with modest budgets, where a big impact can be felt. for example, the urban institute of ireland (dublin, 2002) employs what the architects call a "crafted skin" to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns. at the same time, it employs common sense, good practice environmental control methodologies for an efficient, sustainable building. on a particularly sensitive site in dublin, the masterful offices for the department of finance (2009) attests to their knowledge and care in the selection of materials and construction techniques with a carefully handcrafted bronze railing and gate and sanded limestone on the facades. the architects are skilled and successful working at many scales from large institutional buildings to a house of only a little more than 100 square meters. without grand or frivolous gestures, they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences when appropriate, but even so they are zoned and detailed in such a way as to produce more intimate spaces that create community within. in their large buildings such as the university campus utec (2015) in lima, peru or the school of economics building (2008) at universita luigi bocconi, they have achieved a human scale through the composition of spaces and volumes of different sizes. the dialogues they create between buildings and surroundings demonstrate a new appreciation of both their works and place. a constant in their approach, the architects have an understanding of how to design complex sections of buildings in such a way that views connect deep interior spaces with the larger exterior realm and allow natural light to penetrate and animate spaces deep inside a building. often light streams from skylights or upper story windows throughout the interiors of their buildings, providing warmth and visual interest, helping the inhabitants easily orient themselves in the spaces, and providing the ever necessary connection to the exterior. for their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice, their belief in collaboration, their generosity towards their colleagues, especially as evidenced in such events as the 2018 venice biennale, their unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara are awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize. sent on alternate fridays, this us edition of dezeen agenda is a fortnightly newsletter rounding up everything you need to know from america, featuring news, projects and interviews with industry figures. plus occasional updates and invitations to dezeen events. a quarterly newsletter rounding up a selection of recently launched products by designers and studios, published on dezeen showroom. our most popular newsletter, formerly known as dezeen weekly, is sent every tuesday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked about stories. plus occasional updates on dezeen’s services and breaking news. sent every thursday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. plus occasional updates on dezeen’s services and invitations to dezeen events. a daily newsletter containing the latest stories from dezeen. daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on dezeen jobs. plus occasional news. weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on dezeen jobs. plus occasional news. news about our dezeen awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. plus occasional updates. news from dezeen events guide, a listings guide covering the leading design related events taking place around the world. plus occasional updates and invitations to dezeen events. news about our dezeen awards china programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. plus occasional updates. for more details, please see our privacy notice. you will shortly receive a welcome email so please check your inbox. visit our comments page | read our comments policy sent on alternate fridays, this us edition of dezeen agenda is a fortnightly newsletter rounding up everything you need to know from america, featuring news, projects and interviews with industry figures. plus occasional updates and invitations to dezeen events. a quarterly newsletter rounding up a selection of recently launched products by designers and studios, published on dezeen showroom. our most popular newsletter, formerly known as dezeen weekly, is sent every tuesday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked about stories. plus occasional updates on dezeen’s services and breaking news. sent every thursday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. plus occasional updates on dezeen’s services and invitations to dezeen events. a daily newsletter containing the latest stories from dezeen. daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on dezeen jobs. plus occasional news. weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on dezeen jobs. plus occasional news. news about our dezeen awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. plus occasional updates. news from dezeen events guide, a listings guide covering the leading design related events taking place around the world. plus occasional updates and invitations to dezeen events. news about our dezeen awards china programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. plus occasional updates. for more details, please see our privacy notice. you will shortly receive a welcome email so please check your inbox.

3 march 2020 · by ella jessel source:&nbsp©grafton source:&nbspdennis gilbert source: source: source:&nbspiwan baan source: source:&nbspiwan baan source: source: the co founders of grafton architects, yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara, have won the 2020 pritzker prize, adding another award to their bursting trophy cabinet the pritzker jury awarded them the prize for their ‘unceasing commitment to excellence’, the integrity of their design approach and for being ‘pioneers’ in a male dominated profession. farrell, 69, and mcnamara, 68, who founded grafton architects in dublin in 1978, become the first irish winners of the prestigious international accolade which comes with a sum of $100,000 (£72,000). among the practice’s most famous schemes are university of limerick medical school, which was shortlisted for the riba stirling prize in 2013, and the ‘vertical campus’ building for lima’s specialist engineering university (utec) in peru, which scooped the inaugural riba international prize in 2016. farrell and mcnamara have also taught around the world while, in 2018, they curated the venice architecture biennale, with the theme of ‘freespace’ emphasising humanity and generosity. it has been an extraordinary 12 months for the duo, who at the end of last year won the riba gold medal 2020 for their practice, the uk’s highest honour for architecture. in response to winning the pritzker prize, farrell said: ‘architecture could be described as one of the most complex and important cultural activities on the planet. to be an architect is an enormous privilege. to win this prize is a wonderful endorsement of our belief in architecture. thank you for this great honour.’ grafton’s university campus utec lima, lima, peru grafton’s university campus utec lima, lima, peru the pritzker jury praised the way in which projects like north king street housing in dublin are ‘good neighbours’ that seek to make a city work better as well as the big impact of small details such as the ‘crafted skin’ façade on the urban institute of ireland, also in dublin. the architects were also held up for their skill across different scales from large institutional buildings such as utec in lima and the school of economics building at universita luigi bocconito to a house of little more than 100m². ‘without grand or frivolous gestures, they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences when appropriate,’ the jury said, ‘but even so they are zoned and detailed in such a way as to produce more intimate spaces that create community within.’ without grand or frivolous gestures, they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences the citation added: ‘with a profound understanding of place gained through their research, keen powers of observation, open and ever curious explorations and deep respect for culture and context, farrell and mcnamara are able to make their buildings respond to a setting and city most appropriately, while still being fresh and modern. ‘pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path.’ grafton’s new £50 million ‘town house’ building for kingston university in london completed at the end of last year. yvonne and shelley smiling ©grafton pritzker winners 2020 yvonne farrell (69) and shelley mcnamara (68), ireland 2019 arata isozaki (87), japan 2018 balkrishna vithaldas doshi (90), india 2017 rafael aranda (55) carme pigem (54) and ramon vilalta (56) of rcr arquitectes, spain 2016 alejandro aravena (48), chile 2015 frei otto (89), germany 2014 shigeru ban (56), japan 2013 toyo ito (71), japan 2012 wang shu (48), china 2011 eduardo souto de moura (58), portugal 2010 kazuyo sejima (54) and ryue nishizawa (44), japan 2009 peter zumthor (65), switzerland 2008 jean nouvel (62), france 2007 richard rogers (73), uk 2006 paulo mendes da rocha (77), brazil 2005 thom mayne (61), usa 2004 zaha hadid (53), uk 2003 jorn utzon (84), denmark 2002 glenn murcutt (66), australia 2001 jacques herzog and pierre de meuron (51), switzerland 2000 rem koolhaas (56), netherlands 1999 norman foster (63), uk 1998 renzo piano (60), italy 1997 sverre fehn (72), norway 1996 rafael moneo (58), spain 1995 tadao ando (53), japan 1994 christian de portzamparc (50), france 1993 fumihiko maki (65), japan 1992 alvaro siza (57), portugal 1991 robert venturi (65), usa 1990 aldo rossi, (59), italy 1989 frank gehry (60), usa =1988 oscar niemeyer (81), brazil =1988 gordon bunshaft (79), usa 1987 kenzo tange (73), japan 1986 gottfried bohm (66), germany 1985 hans hollein (51), austria 1984 richard meier (49), usa 1983 im pei (66), china 1982 kevin roche (60), usa 1981 james stirling (55), uk 1980 luis barragan (78), mexico 1979 philip johnson (73), usa comment and share tagsawards grafton architects ireland pritzker prize shelley mcnamara yvonne farrell you might also be interested in… 7 february 2025 bdp is leading a call for the government to rethink its visa… 7 february 2025 populous has drawn up redevelopment proposals for the stadio giuseppe sinigaglia  … 7 february 2025 heatherwick studio and bjarke ingels group’s enormous new building for google at… 6 february 2025 a team led by 5th studio has won a commission to upgrade… sign in or register a new account to join the discussion.

dublin based yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara were awarded the pritzker prize on tuesday   the first time a female duo has scooped architecture’s most prestigious award. the pair gained international fame for their brutalist inspired structures, pairing strong, heavy materials like stark concrete with delicate human scale detail like lookout points, meeting places and spots to loiter. the pair met at university in 1974, and went on to found their firm grafton architects in 1978 in dublin, where they have worked together for four decades. mcnamara, 68, and farrell, 69, are the first female duo to win a pritzker, and the first architects from ireland to be awarded the prize. “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path,” read the jury citation.

yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara, of dublin based practice grafton architects, are the 2020 pritzker prize laureates, architecture’s highest honor internationally. they are the 47th and 48th laureates of the pritzker prize respectively, and the first two recipients from the republic of ireland. the pritzker architecture prize was founded in 1979 by the late jay a. pritzker and his wife, cindy, with the aim of honoring a living architect whose built work demonstrates talent, vision and commitment, and which has produced a significant contribution to humanity and the built environment. the prestigious prize is awarded on an annual basis, to an outstanding individual architect or partnership. the pair also received the riba gold medal for 2020 earlier in the year. université toulouse 1 capitole, school of economics, 2019, toulouse, francelocated at a turning point of the canal de garonne, the site of the new school of economics is important for the university and the city. the new building, with seven stories above ground and two basements, is, according to the architects, “a composition of the re interpreted elements of toulouse: the buttresses, the walls, the ramps, the cool mysterious interiors, the cloisters and the courtyards.”in order to provide places of research and education which are pleasurable to work in, the architects have devised a building strategy to maximize natural air, light and ventilation to each space within the building from offices to seminar rooms to terraces. this allows them to position larger volumes with very little fenestration to act as a “deep wall,” controlling light, shadow and shade. town house building, kingston university, 2019, kingston upon thames, united kingdom the new facility seeks to bring together the university and the local community and act as the university’s front door and a gateway to kingston upon thames. the town house building includes a learning resource center, dance studio, covered courtyard, café and is developed alongside a new landscaping scheme across the front of the campus. the six story building of open plan interiors is unified and enveloped by the stone colonnades that form the facades of the building.the interior is composed of large, interconnected halls and double and triple height spaces that overlap physically and visually. the entrance lobby extends almost to the full height of the building, with staircases suspended from floorplates, adding a sculptural touch and physically weaving the layers of the building together. the architects have said, “university projects are miniature cities. there are three layers administrators and professionals, lecture facilities, and then there is the city.” institut mines télécom, 2019, paris, france this 46,200m2 building is home to institut mines télécom, télécom paristech and télécom sud paris in palaiseau and serves a community of scholars, professors and students. the generous placement of open spaces, windows, glass curtain walls and exposed ceilings allow natural light to filter through a passage of rooms, creating impressions of light through large and small spaces and within the interlocking areas that comprise its five courtyards and quadrangle. “the master plan proposes streets, squares and boulevards with the poetic integration of landscape and ecology, as it refers to the legacy of the great tradition of educational institutions with their lawns, quadrangles, cloisters and courtyards.” farrell and mcnamara’s professional partnership goes back forty years; since co founding grafton architects in 1978, they have “consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces”, said the jury. the studio’s extensive portfolio ranges from educational buildings to housing to cultural and civic institutions, not only in their native ireland but internationally, winning numerous competitions in europe and south america. notable examples include the university campus utec in lima (2015), the school of economics building at universita luigi bocconi, italy (2008) and université toulouse 1 capitole, school of economics, france (2019). university campus utec lima, 2015, lima, perusituated on a difficult site with a busy motorway to one side and the low rise urban edge of the city on the other, the university of technology and engineering, utec lima, is a vertical and layered building inspired by the cliffs of its city. “the north side of the building serves as a ‘new cliff’, while the south features cascading gardens and open spaces that seek to integrate with the lower urban scale of this part of the district.”the architects have created a muscular building with raw concrete finishes, some say reminiscent of brutalism. structure and architectural spaces work together to form a new circulation landscape. the section naturally creates numerous spontaneous and humane gathering spaces throughout the building.larger scale volumes are located close to the ground, with the teaching, administration and teacher office areas staggered at higher levels. in the upper levels near the roof is the library with panoramic views of the city and the sea. in summary, this is a distinctive vertical campus structure responding to the temperate climatic conditions and referencing peru’s terrain and heritage. medical school, university of limerick, 2012, limerick, irelandlocated on both sides of the river shannon, the medical school at the university of limerick is part of a continuing northward expansion of the institution. connected to the existing campus by a pedestrian bridge, the newer facilities include a series of three red brick residences, also designed by the architects, as well as an open public space intended to serve as a new focal point.the exterior limestone wall, referencing material native to the area, is “folded, profiled and layered in response to orientation, sun, wind, rain and public activity.” the four story building includes a double height atrium and a wide, open staircase, allowing occupants to view all levels below and above. closer to home for the pair, the department of finance building in dublin (2009) was singled out for the selection of materials and construction techniques, which demonstrated considerable knowledge and care with a particularly sensitive site. north king street housing, dublin (2000)   another historically contested site   makes minimal use of external design elements, mirroring the restraint of neighboring warehouses. according to justice stephen breyer, jury chair, the pair have repeatedly tried and succeeded to address an increasingly important problem: “how do we build housing and workplaces in a world with over half of its population dwelling in urban environments, and many of them who cannot afford luxury?” grafton architects’ works successfully encompass a range of scales, from large institutional buildings to a house of little more than 100m2. consistently, grafton architects’ buildings operate at a human scale, with spaces and volumes of different sizes creating dialogues between buildings and surroundings. deep interior spaces are connected with the exterior realm, and their use of lighting animates space, while helping building users orient themselves with the architecture. research and sensitivity to the urban environment has been paramount. universita luigi bocconi, 2008, milan, italy occupying an entire city block, the architects have created a building which feels more like a campus of pavilions and courtyards with a vertical rather than horizontal configuration. the conference halls, lecture theaters, offices, meeting rooms, library and café are designed to house 1,000 professors and students, creating a feeling of community from within and sitting easily in the city that surrounds them. throughout the building, the generous and diverse open spaces invite spontaneous encounters a exchanges.the winner of the world building of the year 2008 award, the massive stone clad construction can be thought of as having three distinct parts: the sunken volume, which houses, among other things, the impressive aula magna, the ground floor of flowing spaces and the more functional boxes “floating” above. the aula magna occupies the main frontage and provides a symbolic presence. the use of large openings and multiple vistas means that light filters throughout the building and visitors are drawn into the life of the interior. loreto community school, 2006, milford, ireland located in the small town of milford, in county donegal, the loreto community school serves over 700 students and features four main components a dining/assembly area which is surrounded by a technology wing, classroom block and athletic hall. the building’s undulating zinc roof echos the sloping dramatic landscape of the site and “light and air are drawn in between the folds of this undulation.”the different wings are positioned as a pinwheel and create multiple outdoor “rooms” that are protected from winds and can be used in numerous ways by students, faculty and staff. the teaching areas, which vary in size and volume, allow light to enter from different sources. using natural light to animate spaces, reflect the passage of time and connect the exterior and interiors is constant in the work of grafton architects. the pritzker judges, based in chicago, illinois, praised farrell and mcnamara for their “honest” approach to architecture, which eschews “grand or frivolous gestures”, saying: “they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences when appropriate, but even so they are zoned and detailed in such a way as to produce more intimate spaces that create community within”. mcnamara and farrell are female trailblazers, only the fourth and fifth women to have won the award in its history, following in the footsteps of zaha hadid, kazuyo sejima and carme pigem. the jury described the pair as “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path…in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the pritzker prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work”. urban institute of ireland, 2002, dublin, irelandsituated at the edge of a cluster of university facilities, the urban institute of ireland (uii) at university college dublin brings together engineers, planners, architects, geographers, economists and scientists to find innovative ways of tackling the challenges of sustainable development. designed to encourage integrative discourse, “a balance was sought between the academic tradition of the solitary scholar and the urgent need for interdisciplinary engagement if contemporary urban issues are to be addressed in a realistic way.”terracotta tiles, red brick and granite plinths form the “crafted skin” of this sustainable structure to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials. the building features a double height ground floor that is comprised of laboratories and research rooms, stratified in an east west orientation, while the upper level skylights feature north west alignment, creating a contrasting grid and giving rise to a surprising and interesting degree of spatial complexity. the pair have worked not only as architects but as educators at a number of global architecture schools including university college dublin, harvard, yale and epfl in lausanne. they were the curators of the 2018 venice biennale on the theme of ‘freespace’. in response to the award, mcnamara said: “architecture is a framework for human life. it anchors us and connects us to the world in a way which possibly no other space making discipline can.” farrell said: “architecture could be described as one of the most complex and important cultural activities on the planet…to be an architect is an enormous privilege. to win this prize is a wonderful endorsement of our belief in architecture”. farrell and mcnamara were described as having integrity in the way they manage their practice and generosity towards their colleagues. [powerkit_separator style=”double” height=”5″] the world is increasingly realizing the severity of the climate crisis. as a result, industries... since 2000, the serpentine pavilion has adorned london’s kensington gardens every summer, showcasing unique pavilion... “we call ourselves a 'collective.' our culture is deeply rooted in a collaborative environment where... zaha hadid architects(zha) has been commissioned to design the cao‘e river cultural and art centre,... big, led by architect bjarke ingels, has unveiled the design for a ‘museum for paper... sir peter cook, a renowned british architect and founding member of archigram, visited korea to... © all rights reserved. k architecture | 18 gonghangdaero 2gil gangseo gu seoul 07622 korea | tel_+82 2 2661 1513 | email_editorial@c3globe.com login to your account below remember me please enter your username or email address to reset your password.   select visibility  publicprivate © all rights reserved. k architecture | 18 gonghangdaero 2gil gangseo gu seoul 07622 korea | tel_+82 2 2661 1513 | email_editorial@c3globe.com

yvonne and shelley at dublin castle, portrait by ste murray. by julia gamolina yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara co founded grafton architects in 1978 having graduated from university college dublin in 1974. they are fellows of the riai, international honorary fellows of the riba and elected members of aosdána, the eminent irish art organisation. teaching at the school of architecture at university college dublin from 1976 to 2002, they were appointed adjunct professors at ucd in 2015. they have been visiting professors at epfl, lausanne from 2010   2011. they held the kenzo tange chair at gsd harvard in 2010 and the louis kahn chair at yale in the autumn of 2011. currently, they are professors at the accademia di archittettura, mendrisio, switzerland. in 2018, yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara were the curators of the venice architecture biennale. their manifesto : freespace was the title of the biennale. in their conversation with julia gamolina, yvonne and shelley talk about building their firm bit by bit, the fundamentals of architecture, and the collective nature of our field, advising young architects to nurture their true friendships. jg: i couldn’t be more excited to speak with you both. we’ll start at the very beginning   how did the interest in architecture develop for each of you? sm: my interest in architecture began because i come from a family of builders. we had a builder’s yard and workshop around our house. i thought architecture would be an interesting thing to do, having seen the process and the collaborative nature of making buildings. i really just tried it off of a hunch. i had no idea what it would lead to. yf: i was recently thinking that my mother was pregnant with me when they were designing a house together with my father’s brother. when i was born, not that i would’ve noticed when i was that age [laughs], but the house that i was in had no insulation, was made of limestone...somehow those early spatial memories stand out for me. then at school, loving math, and art, and english, i looked for a profession that would intertwine those very things. architecture really is such a complex discipline and a fluid combination of so much. what were the biggest takeaways for each of you from studying architecture? sm: finding that thing in a project that unlocks some kind of mystery, and takes you into a world much bigger than you. i found that amazing, that with just a few more drawings, something would emerge or be solved. you could work from a sketch and discover a whole world inside of it. once you do that, hit that kind of nerve, you’re hooked. yf: the lesson for me was that my time in architecture school was a combination of interesting professors, but also interesting colleagues. shelley and i studied together in college, and there were others who were part of our daily head scratching, not knowing what to do and then being successful. we had a particularly brilliant group of teachers too, and we learned about the relationships between ideas, places, drawings, and people. the biggest lesson was that you learn that your colleagues each have a different response to a situation, to a studio prompt. through that, you’re trying to develop judgement and a critical mind toward it all. the studio is a very important environment, because you’re all together and building friendships, but also watching other modus operandi in action. town house, kingston university london. photography by dennis gilbert. town house, kingston university london. photography by alice clancy how did grafton architects come about after the two of you studied together? sm: we started in 1977, just a few years after we finished college. two of our colleagues went to paris to work, and yvonne and i went to london. a few years later we came back to dublin, and set up our office. yvonne found a studio that she wanted to live in, and we thought it would also make a fantastic office [laughs]. so we made that flat into our headquarters, and set up shop without really having any work. we were just full of passion, enthusiasm, and energy. you couldn’t do it now because of the legal responsibility of architects, and back then we knew virtually nothing, but we figured it out. yf: shelley describes our experience in terms of the innocence and naivete of youth, but we also were trying to find a way of working as professionals. it didn’t suit us to fracture and each be working at a different office, so we decided to pool our resources and work on any projects that came along. people were really kind to us! i remember renting a space from a professor of ours at a certain point, when we were setting off, and there were a lot of things we tried along the way. before our studio on grafton street, we worked at one of shell’s places   we were nomads, not being one hundred percent sure of where we were going. we didn’t have any kind of ten year plan about where we were going to pitch our tent [laughs], so for your younger audience, i want to say that it’s not like you know exactly what you’re going to do when you’re young. life is like skiing down a double black diamond slope   and you just go with it! sm: it was very interesting julia, because one of our professors in architecture school in dublin gave four of us teaching jobs. so that was fantastic because that meant that while we were figuring out our practice, there was some structure to our lives and some financial support. let’s just say that we didn’t have a business plan [laughs]. i hear a few of these things a lot! both the teaching to support a young creative practice, but also the lack of a ten year plan and following your interests. i think those are both really healthy lessons. from those early years until now, how has grafton architects evolved? sm: we started first as five partners, and then there were the two of us, for various reasons, personal and otherwise. we were doing small work at first, houses and house extensions, and then we had the opportunity to do a small school project, which was really important work. this was when the department of education gave architects really creative projects to do, which may not be the case anymore. then in 1991, we set up another collaboration which helped us all   group 91. this was a group of us irish architects, which came together to produce an exhibition for dublin as a european city of culture. we made an exhibition on how to build a contemporary street, an 18th century street in dublin, which reinvented it. this exhibition was a huge amount of work, and then the government announced a competition for the regeneration of the whole inner city corridor in dublin. we were magically shortlisted for that competition! we were up against major commercial firms in dublin, and from abroad, and our collective of group 91 won the competition! that was magic really, because it catapulted each of our architectural practices into another sphere of work, but it was also an approach to a regeneration of cities. we were influenced by the work being done in barcelona, where the idea of urban acupuncture was being put to use. the attitude we took in dublin was not to demolish anything, but to approach the project from the point of view of addition and not subtraction. that was a turning point for us all in this collaborative. yf: going back even further julia, we were focused on really tiny projects in the city, which was really interesting! we were faced with the reality of architecture, the construction, the making. in those days, you could build cheaply, which was a good lesson because we’ve been through three recessions, and now covid. but architecture is so connected to the industry of building, and is vulnerable in that way, and what has grown over these many years for us is the real belief that architecture matters, and that architecture is truly a cultural phenomenon. yes, it’s the business of building, but it has this other very rare component. if you never saw a painting, or never read a book, you would go on with your life, but architecture is literally the thing that contains that life. and it’s never been more true than perhaps now, as we’re realizing that architecture is involving everything   architecture has the ability to contribute to well being, and i think keeping that in mind is why we’ve lasted, especially when we were sometimes waiting for the phone to ring. university campus utec lima. photography by iwan baan toulouse school of economics. photography by dennis gilbert let’s talk about the pritzker. when you were announced as the 2020 pritzker laureates, the celebration within our community of readers, the community of architects that are women, was not dissimilar to what was happening in major cities across the us when joe biden and kamala harris were elected recently [laughs[. there was such a sense of joy, and celebration, and of an exhale, like “finally!” there were cheers in architecture offices   i was texting all of my girlfriends in the industry, and we were all ecstatic. you guys are really a beacon of hope for so many of us. what did the prize mean for you? yf: it’s an amazing tribute to receive. we were stunned and very honored julia. it’s extraordinary and wonderful. how do you put into words such an amazing moment [laughs]. i think what it means for us and for our lives is believing more and more in architecture. from a female perspective, we just happen to be women, and love being women, and have been very lucky to grow up in a country where education is more or less free. we are trained in ireland and cut our teeth here, and what that recognition means at a global level is incredible. when your peers acknowledge you, and acknowledge the hard work of architecture and all of the projects put together, it’s just an incredible moment. because of covid, the celebrations were all distant, but what was really beautiful was that the structures that were set up were such that the ceremony could be shared virtually, which actually meant that many more people could watch it than usual. we stood in our city, with the medals, and our president, michael d. higgins, gave us his presidential blessing, which was very dear to our hearts. sm: julia, we didn’t know we were nominated! yvonne got a text message from martha thorne, on a sunday evening while she was at home. and my phone rang, and yvonne said, “are you sitting down?” and i genuinely don’t remember being so surprised. then, getting the medal delivered to our respective houses was incredibly emotional. there was something beautiful about the heaviness of it, and our name on it. yvonne had the idea that we couldn't do the virtual acceptance ceremony from our homes, and that we had to have an architectural space from which to rise to the moment. we needed a place of ritual to stand there, and accept this. that was really interesting, that need for a space in which to recognize this fantastic award. yf: for us, to realize that a family in the united states, with advisors of course, holds architecture to be such a mother of the arts, that it needs this kind of recognition, is amazing. 2020 has not been a great year, but it sure has had its little moment [laughs]. this moment was certainly one of the wonderful parts of life. i would say that it was a pretty big moment. what have been some other highlights in your careers? sm: in our architectural lives, i remember we were asked to attend an interview for a project at trinity college, which was a big deal. yvonne was on holiday when i got the phone call, and i thought it was for a refurbishment of an existing building. first they asked us for our portfolio, and we didn’t have a brochure or anything, so we literally took framed drawings from our walls and brought them down to trinity college [laughs]. anyway, we did the interview, and we were in this room with a large table full of people, and they said to us, “if you had the chance to do a new building for trinity college, what would you do?” and i had to say, “i’m terribly sorry, i thought this was for a refurbishment.” and then yvonne, fresh back from bali, just goes, “oh yes, i know what we could do, there are these two trees there that we could take down...” and we just talked and talked, and then we got the project! and apparently we got the project because of a mistake we made, because the jury saw the way we think and work through things, and that was amazing! yf: talk about losing a project, julia [laughs]. this was not false modesty, we were certain we didn’t get the project. and then the director of buildings called us with a brief, and i remember feeling like we finally had a real office. that was amazing. sm: winning bocconi was also amazing. that was really something because we were the outsiders   nobody knew us, nobody heard of us. we just worked really hard, and that was an extraordinary experience actually. the whole idea of working in a different country, and at a different scale   and we were ready for it! that’s what surprised us   we were in training for twenty five years, and we really felt that we could just run with this thing, even though it was twelve or fourteen times bigger in scale than anything we had ever done. young architects don’t get those kinds of challenges these days. yf: the highlights julia are really about being able to stand in a space of ours, and it being even better than we imagined it might be. yes, it’s wonderful when we win commissions, but then when the commissions are better in reality than a drawing or a model, that’s the real thing. i think this proves that architecture is not words, not sketches, not models   it’s the built thing. it’s the moments within the building when you turn around and go, “wow,” that are the highlights. sm: making architecture can be a struggle   you encounter drudgery, and boring things, and bureaucracy, and legal issues, cost, negotiations, details...it’s incredibly challenging in many ways. but then you walk into the space as a human being, and you find that it has that thing that you were looking for, a kind of architectural performance, and that makes it all worth it. it’s worth the pain [laughs]. institut mines télécom, paris saclay. photography by philippe ruault institut mines télécom, paris saclay. photography by dennis gilbert what would you say your mission is, as architects? what is the impact you’d like to have on the world? sm: we got a letter from a professor in toulouse recently, and he described the building beautifully. he talked about him being a part of a small department in the university, that wasn’t very known, but what he loved was meeting other people on the staircase of the building. his visibility within the university suddenly became different! and also the fact that he had the option to slip out the back stair if he didn’t want to meet anybody [laughs]. and we just thought his description of the building was fantastic, because he was describing the way he was using it every day, and that he loved it and enjoyed it, and that it was improving his life as a worker there. that’s the mission, let’s say. to get a response like that. yf: one of the big problems in architecture is that we as architects speak to other architects. there is a big communication issue between the general public who are the recipients of the architecture, and the profession. we have to be careful and aware of the exclusivity that surrounds architecture. it’s not only for the rich, it’s not, “sorry baby, but you’re not getting any of that.” that’s not what architecture is. architecture is a universal right. it’s unbelievable that people don’t realize how fundamental architecture is for their well being. as a profession, we need to communicate that more. and that we are not stars, but that we are hardworking members of society, and we’re in all of this together, to make architecture. if we’re not careful, we sound exclusive, and architecture deserves more than that. i couldn’t agree more. finally, what advice do you have for those starting their careers? and, would your advice be any different for women? yf: to those just starting their career, good luck [laughs]. that’s my first advice. a career is not a straightforward trajectory at all   you can be lucky, and then unlucky, and then things change. one thing really does lead to another though   we did small exhibitions here and there, and then in the city of dublin, and then eventually got invited to do this huge exhibition in venice   so the best you can do is be true to yourself, and find out who you are bit by bit. in terms of advice for women, and i think it’s true for men as well   surround yourself with actual friends. find your supportive networks, because architecture overlaps hugely with your life, and friendships and relationships matter. you do need a certain amount of luck, but you wili find clients who believe who you are, and we’ve been lucky i think, that clients have found us, or we’ve found them. sometimes things work well, and sometimes not so well, but always have a sense of the wonderful nature of architecture, and keep watering and growing that. and finally, remember that the ordinary is wonderful too   you don’t have to be standing on your head to stand out. you can make a beautiful tiny thing, and it matters. it matters. sm: one thing i would say to women is not to think of yourself as being a “female architect.” think about yourself as being an architect. it’s difficult for any young architect to find their way, and i think yvonne is really right in that you need a culture and network of support. when you’re young, you feed off of each other! you talk to each other, you learn from each other. the collective is hugely important, even if you’re in your own private practice. collaboration, and teaching with others, and exhibitions   you need the collective nature of our field. the support system that helps you find your way is really important. yf: finally, life is all ups and downs. you’re not just going along smoothly, or on an incline. there are ups and downs, and you need to enjoy the ups and be dragged out of the downs. life is full of excitement, danger, wonder, sadness   all of those things. and the amazing thing about work, no matter what work you do, is that work is the thing that sails steadily along through those peaks and troughs. that’s what’s incredible about the projects   the projects are the huge liners that keep sailing along. buildings are the slow food movement, they stand there, and there’s an incredible sense of them being monuments in time. but, in closing, be yourself and stay healthy   and keep in mind that hard work never did anyone any harm. copyright © madame architect 2025, all rights reserved. powered by squarespace

supported by a pritzker prize winner, he designed notable projects in his native japan and in the u.s., including 4 world trade center and the m.i.t. media lab’s new home. by fred a. bernstein yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara of dublin’s grafton architects are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men. by farah nayeri architects say they find a certain affinity between designing major structures and smaller items to wear on the wrist. by anders modig davin riken yamamoto of japan is recognized for modest designs that inspire social connection and both literal and figurative transparency. by robin pogrebin at 87, the british architect is being honored with a major retrospective that glances back on some of his greatest buildings and toward his vision for the future. by farah nayeri architecture’s highest honor has gone to the british designer, who is focusing on issues of environmental sustainability and social equity. by robin pogrebin the first indian to receive the pritzker prize, he developed a distinctive approach to building for his country. by fred a. bernstein in major structures in a dozen countries, including the museum of contemporary art in los angeles, mr. isozaki absorbed and reinterpreted eastern and western traditions. by joseph giovannini in this lesson, students will reflect on the work of francis kéré, including a school he designed. then they will examine their own school to try to understand the decisions architects make. by erica ackerberg using indigenous materials and local symbols, francis kéré makes buildings that serve the community he came from. by robin pogrebin

neda ulaby the school of economics building at the universita luigi bocconi in milan, italy, was designed by grafton architects   founded by yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara. it launched grafton architects as a leading designer of university buildings. federico brunetti/pritzker architecture prize hide caption the school of economics building at the universita luigi bocconi in milan, italy, was designed by grafton architects   founded by yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara. it launched grafton architects as a leading designer of university buildings. in a video released by the pritzker architecture prize, commonly seen as the nobel of the architecture world, the winners look directly into the camera and introduce themselves in soft irish accents. yvonne farrell, left, and shelley mcnamara are the 2020 winners of the pritzker architecture prize. they are pictured above in venice, italy, in may 2018. antonio calanni/ap hide caption yvonne farrell, left, and shelley mcnamara are the 2020 winners of the pritzker architecture prize. they are pictured above in venice, italy, in may 2018. "my name is shelley mcnamara." "and my name is yvonne farrell." mcnamara and farrell co founded their firm 42 years ago in dublin. "our name, grafton architects, comes from the street where we set up our first office, on grafton street," mcnamara explains. "and we were a group of five architects, and we had this idea of making a collective practice, so we called ourselves after the street. so we are anchored in our own place and our own culture." it's a telling detail that the firm was named for its place in the city, and not after the architects themselves, says robert mccarter, an architecture professor at washington university in st louis. his book about grafton architects came out in 2018. "their practice is grounded in the specifics of place," he told npr. "dublin and ireland are very important. and they say their practice is committed to the cultural ethics of buildings, so it's an ethics that's all encompassing of the culture in which they work." loreto community school in milford, ireland. ros kavanagh/pritzker architecture prize hide caption farrell and mcnamara met as architecture students at university college dublin in the mid 1970s. not much was happening in ireland at the time architecturally, mccarter says, and grafton architects didn't start making much of a splash until the early 1990s, when the irish economy started taking off. they designed a building for trinity college in dublin, houses and schools, and with other young architects they helped transform dublin's temple bar square into a lively, pedestrian friendly commercial destination. in fact, grafton architects didn't design a single building outside of ireland until 2003, when the firm won an international competition to design the prestigious school of economics at the universita luigi bocconi in milan. the building was completed in 2008. universita luigi bocconi in milan, italy. federico brunetti/pritzker architecture prize hide caption "it's a series of big blocks that are made of stone, they're very opaque, and it has a glass bottom so along the street, it's very beautiful," says sarah whiting, dean of harvard's graduate school of design. "you feel like you're enveloped in the embrace of a tough building. it feels like its own world." université toulouse 1 capitole in toulouse, france. dennis gilbert/pritzker architecture prize hide caption université toulouse 1 capitole in toulouse, france. the building was an immediate sensation in international architecture circles. it was named world building of the year at the inaugural world architecture festival in 2008 and launched grafton architects as a leading designer of university buildings. the firm took on high profile projects at the university campus utec lima in peru, in france and in the united kingdom, where they're currently finishing a project for the london school of economics. "we're passionately interested in education," mcnamara said during a 2015 lecture at the kth royal institute of technology in sweden. "the university should be a place where knowledge is tended to like a garden. and we're the guardians of knowledge." farrell and mcnamara have worked consistently as professors as well as designers throughout their careers   unusual for architects of their stature. both say teaching is an ongoing source of creative replenishment. and of course, they're also unusual in their gender. only three other women have won the pritzker architecture prize in the past   zaha hadid in 2004, kazuyo sejima in 2010 (with ryue nishizawa) and carme pigem in 2017 (with ramón vilalta and rafael aranda). whiting describes farrell and mcnamara's selection as "satisfying." institut mines tã©lã©com in paris, france alexandre soria/pritzker architecture prize hide caption institut mines tã©lã©com in paris, france "they're phenomenally good architects," she says, calling their style "forthright" and "beefy," drawing on brutalist traditions. plus, she adds, this year's pritzker selection reflects the profession's changing realities. "the field of architecture has a lot of women in it right now," whiting says. "the schools have been 50% women for, oh, 20 25 years." farrell and mcnamara received raves when they curated the world's largest architecture exhibition, the venice biennale, in 2018. "generosity and thoughtfulness" was their theme. the two often invoke the metaphor of the flying island of laputa in jonathan swift's novel, gulliver's travels. it's a place that the inhabitants know how to maneuver. they spend their time listening to the music of the spheres but they are continually worried that the sun will go out. it's a potent metaphor for the moment, farrell said in a speech last month accepting the 2020 royal gold medal from the royal institute of british architects. "there is something interesting about that, just thinking about where we are now, and how we imagine ourselves optimistically with all the potential that architecture inherently has," she said. "to make new worlds and to make new futures." the urban institute of ireland in dublin ros kavanagh/pritzker architecture prize hide caption

many of their buildings are located in their home country of ireland, but through competitions, they have won major commissions for other places around the world, such as italy, france and peru. with a profound understanding of place gained through their research, keen powers of observation, open and ever curious explorations and deep respect for culture and context, farrell and mcnamara are able to make their buildings respond to a setting and city most appropriately, while still being fresh and modern. this deep understanding of “spirit of place” means that their works enhance and improve the local community. their buildings are “good neighbors” that seek to make a contribution beyond the boundaries of the building and to make a city work better. their north king street housing in dublin (2000) is one example of this: it creates an inner courtyard and a welcome respite from the adjacent busy streets. their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large scale structures to the smallest details. it is often in these details, especially in buildings with modest budgets, where a big impact can be felt. for example, the urban institute of ireland (dublin, 2002) employs what the architects call a “crafted skin” to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns. at the same time, it employs common sense, good practice environmental control methodologies for an efficient, sustainable building. on a particularly sensitive site in dublin, the masterful offices for the department of finance (2009) attests to their knowledge and care in the selection of materials and construction techniques with a carefully handcrafted bronze railing and gate and sanded limestone on the facades. a constant in their approach, the architects have an understanding of how to design complex sections of buildings in such a way that views connect deep interior spaces with the larger exterior realm and allow natural light to penetrate and animate spaces deep inside a building. often light streams from skylights or upper story windows throughout the interiors of their buildings, providing warmth and visual interest, helping the inhabitants easily orient themselves in the spaces, and providing the ever necessary connection to the exterior. for their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice, their belief in collaboration, their generosity towards their colleagues, especially as evidenced in such events as the 2018 venice biennale, their unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara are awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize. grafton architects was established in 1978. directors yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara are both graduates of ucd, are fellows of the riai, are international honorary fellows of the riba and are elected members of aosdána, the eminent irish art organisation.teachers at the school of architecture at university college dublin from 1976 to 2002, they have been visiting professors at accademia d’archittettura, mendrisio, epfl, lausanne, held the kenzo tange chair at gsd harvard and the louis kahn chair at yale university.they have been external examiners at numerous universities including cambridge university and the london metropolitan school of architecture. as well as public lectures in dublin and abroad, including the national gallery of ireland in dublin and the royal academy in london, they have lectured widely in european and american schools of architecture.yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara. 2020 pritzker architecture prize. archive prizes

radio schuman this is radio schuman, your new go to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind the scenes from brussels and beyond. no comment no agenda, no argument, no bias, no comment. get the story without commentary. my wildest prediction dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries the big question deep dive conversations with business leaders euronews tech talks euronews tech talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. with explanations, engaging q&as, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. water matters europe's water is under increasing pressure. pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. join us on a journey around europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate   find out why water matters, from euronews. climate now we give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. we meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt. radio schuman this is radio schuman, your new go to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind the scenes from brussels and beyond. no comment no agenda, no argument, no bias, no comment. get the story without commentary. my wildest prediction dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries the big question deep dive conversations with business leaders euronews tech talks euronews tech talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. with explanations, engaging q&as, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. water matters europe's water is under increasing pressure. pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. join us on a journey around europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate   find out why water matters, from euronews. climate now we give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. we meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt. the irish architects have been awarded the 2020 pritzker prize for leading the way for women in a male dominated profession. considered the highest honour in architecture, irish yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara were awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize on tuesday. the jury rewarded the duo for "consistent service to humanity as evidenced by a body of built work,” and for leading the way for women in a male dominated profession. the pair, who co founded their dublin based grafton architects in 1978, is known for numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions. their collaboration dates back to 1969, when they met as architecture students at the school of architecture at university college dublin (ucd). they were then offered the opportunity to teach there. they have collaborated in many projects in their home country, but their work can also be found in italy, france or peru. interviewed on the phone from dublin, mcnamara told ap: “we say sometimes that we’re like scientists of space.” "what's interesting is we always feel like we’re starting. with architecture, you always feel like you get younger as you get older. you’re continually being challenged and continually challenging yourself. you never sit back and say ‘ok, i’ve done that," she added. the jury singled out the urban institute of ireland, a building they imagined in 2002. the jury particularly laid emphasis on the fact that they "have achieved a human scale through the composition of spaces and volumes of different sizes. the dialogues they create between buildings and surroundings demonstrate a new appreciation of both their works and place." in a manifesto written for the venice biennale in 2018, farrell and mcnamara explained that they were aiming at "going beyond the visual, emphasising the role of architecture in the choreography of daily life." the pritzker architecture prize grants its winner $100,000 and a bronze medallion. among its previous winners stand architects jean nouvel, renzo piano, franck gehry and fellow female laureate zaha hadid in 2004.
supported by yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara of dublin’s grafton architects are forging a path in an industry that continues to be dominated by men. by farah nayeri when it comes to gender equality, the architectural profession is a laggard, to say the least. it wasn’t until the 21st century that the pritzker architecture prize   the profession’s highest accolade   was first awarded to a woman: zaha hadid, who won it in 2004. yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara, co founders of the dublin firm grafton architects, are among only five women who have collected the award since. in awarding them the 2020 prize, the pritzker jury described farrell and mcnamara as “pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession,” and cited their consistent regard for “the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.” community oriented, sustainable architecture was one of the themes of the art for tomorrow conference, an annual event convened by the democracy & culture foundation with panels moderated by new york times journalists that was held in venice last week. in a panel titled “architecture for good,” manuela lucá dazio, executive director of the pritzker prize, said that while the pritzker’s mission had remained the same since it was established in 1979, “our world has deeply changed in the past 45 years.” she said issues such as gender balance, decolonization and decarbonization were now priorities for all individuals and professionals, and that the role of architects and of the pritzker prize was to “address these issues.” and those issues have been vital to grafton architects since it opened in 1978. the practice, now with a staff of 37, is known for producing elegantly designed buildings that are easy on the eye, user friendly and unflamboyant, and where environmental elements such as sunlight, wind and water are harnessed to produce architecture that withstands the test of time.

 jocelyn noveck associated press published: march 3, 2020 at 10:01 am updated: march 3, 2020 at 4:53 pm jocelyn noveck associated press new york, n.y.   irish architects yvonne farrell and shelley mcnamara have been awarded the 2020 pritzker architecture prize for “consistent service to humanity as evidenced by a body of built work,” and for leading the way for women in a male dominated profession. the announcement was made tuesday by tom pritzker, chairman of the hyatt foundation, which sponsors the award, considered the highest honor in architecture. recommended videos the jury citation noted that the pair, who co founded their dublin based grafton architects in 1978, “have consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.” it added: “they have an oeuvre that includes numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions. pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path.” in a telephone interview from dublin, farrell and mcnamara described to the associated press how they began their collaboration as early as 1969, when they met as architecture students. “we learned a lot from each other,” mcnamara said. “we grew together in college.” even now, she said, after decades in the field, “what's interesting is we always feel like we’re starting. with architecture, you always feel like you get younger as you get older.