International competition for early-career architects to win $100,000 traveling fellowship
now accepting applications; deadline January 27, 2019

Cambridge, MA — The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is pleased to announce the 2019 cycle of the Wheelwright Prize, an open international competition that awards 100,000 USD to a talented early-career architect to support travel-based research. The 2019 Wheelwright Prize is now accepting applications; the deadline for submissions is Sunday, January 27, 2019. This annual prize is dedicated to fostering new forms of architectural research informed by cross-cultural engagement.

The Wheelwright Prize is open to emerging architects practicing anywhere in the world. The primary eligibility requirement is that applicants must have received a degree from a professionally accredited architecture program in the past 15 years. An affiliation to the GSD is not required. Applicants are asked to submit a portfolio, a research proposal, and a travel itinerary that takes them outside their country of residence. Finalists will be asked to travel to the GSD for finalist presentations on March 14, 2019.

In 2013, Harvard GSD recast the Arthur W. Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship—established in 1935 in memory of Wheelwright, Class of 1887—into its current form. Intended to encourage the study of architecture outside the United States at a time when international travel was difficult, the Fellowship was available only to GSD alumni. Past fellows have included Paul Rudolph, Eliot Noyes, William Wurster, Christopher Tunnard, I. M. Pei, Farès el-Dahdah, Adele Santos, and Linda Pollak.

An international jury will be announced in January 2019. In addition to Dean Mostafavi and Professors K. Michael Hays and Jorge Silvetti, previous juries have included Jose Ahedo, Edward Eigen, Frida Escobedo, Mark Lee, and Michelle Wilkinson (2018 jury); Gordon Gill, Mariana Ibañez, and Gia Wolff (2017 jury); Rafael Moneo, Kiel Moe, Jeannie Kim, Benjamin Prosky, and Eva Franch i Gilabert (2016 jury); Craig Evan Barton, Preston Scott Cohen, Sarah Herda, and Elisa Silva (2015 jury); Iñaki Ábalos, Sílvia Benedito, Pedro Gadanho, Linda Pollak, and Shohei Shigematsu (2014 jury); Yung Ho Chang, Farès el-Dahdah, Farshid Moussavi, and Zoe Ryan (2013 jury).

Applicants will be judged on the quality of their design work, scholarly accomplishments, originality or persuasiveness of the research proposal, and evidence of ability to fulfill the proposed project. Applications are accepted online only, at wheelwrightprize.org. Finalists must be available to travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for finalist presentations on March 14, 2019, at the GSD. A winner will be named in spring 2019.

Winners of the revamped prize are:
2018, Aude-Line Dulière, Brussels (MArch 2009, Harvard GSD) for her proposal to examine construction methods and supply systems in the global film industry, engaging the space-making elements of film and set design as well as potential innovations around material use and reuse throughout architecture and construction generally.

2017, Samuel Bravo, Santiago (BArch 2009, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) for his proposal to examine traditional architectures and informal settlements, revisiting the subject of “architecture without architects.”

2016, Anna Puigjaner, Barcelona (BArch 2004, MArch 2008, and Ph.D. 2014, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona-Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) for her proposal to study exemplars of collective housing in Brazil, Sweden, Russia, Korea, and elsewhere.

2015, Erik L’Heureux, Singapore (BArch 1996, Washington University in St. Louis, and MArch 2000, Princeton University), for his proposal to study architecture in five dense cities in the equatorial zone; click here to view the presentations of 2015 finalists including Malkit Shoshan (Amsterdam) and Quynh Vantu (London). L'Heureux presented his research as part of the GSD’s Fall 2017 lecture series; click here for a link to L'Heureux's lecture.

2014, Jose M. Ahedo, Barcelona (BArch 2005, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de la Universitat de Catalunya), for his research on the architecture and organization of structures related to animal farming. Ahedo presented his research as part of the GSD’s Fall 2016 lecture series; click here for a link to Ahedo’s lecture.

2013, Gia Wolff, Brooklyn (MArch 2008, Harvard GSD), for her study of the spectacular, temporary, urban-scale float structures that transform Rio de Janeiro during carnival. Wolff presented her research as part of the GSD’s Spring 2015 lecture series; click here for a link to Wolff’s lecture.

INFORMATION

For information regarding Wheelwright Prize application

and administration, please contact: info@wheelwrightprize.org

For media inquiries regarding the Wheelwright Prize, please contact:

Patrick Reiher, patrick@suttonpr.com

Submission Deadline: January 27, 2019

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