The 2021 Pritzker Prize, considered the highest annual honor in architecture, has been awarded to a French couple who prioritize kindness in their designs.
The 2021 Pritzker Prize, an annual award considered the highest honor in the architecture profession, has been awarded to Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal.
According to an article by Neda Ulaby, there's an element of surprise to this year's selection. Even Lacaton and Vassal say they are surprised as anyone else.
Lacaton and Vassal could not be more different from an earlier generation of Pritzker "starchitects," known for their signature styles, statement skyscrapers and flamboyant follies. Instead, the two apply a credo: "Never demolish, never remove or replace, always add, transform, and reuse!" to their work on old urban buildings. That includes dilapidated public housing (or "social housing" as it is known in France). Designs by Lacaton and Vassal have focused on replenishing low-income housing complexes, aesthetically and functionally, while respecting — rather than displacing — the tenants who live there.
Lacaton described some of the couple's philosophy in a 2017 lecture delivered to the Architectural League of New York. "Buildings are beautiful when people feel well in them," said Lacaton in the lecture. "When the light inside is beautiful and the air is pleasant. When the exchange with the outside seems easy and gentle, and when uses and sensations are unexpected." Lacaton also added this bombshell: "There's a lot of violence in architecture and urbanism. We try to be precise. We try to work with kindness."
Ulaby offers that the couple's approach to architecture could provide a model for urban planning in the United States. With a focus on cost-effective and creative adaption, the work of Lacaton and Vassal certainly stands in contrast to the influence of Robert Moses and Le Corbusier and the urban renewal programs of U.S. planning history.
FULL STORY: 2021 Pritzker Prize Goes To French Architects Who 'Work With Kindness'
NYC Agencies Tasked With Finding Affordable Housing Sites
Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order that requires city departments to evaluate their properties for potential housing development.
L.A. Councilmember Proposes Social Housing Model
Inspired by the success of Vienna, Austria, Los Angeles leaders are considering public housing as a faster, more effective way to curb the city’s homelessness crisis.
How Paris Improved Sustainability and Livability In Its Public Housing
Over the last decade, the city has made massive investments in retrofitting 'social housing' with minimal disruptions and displacement of residents.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service