Shigeru Ban
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is known for crafting innovative and elegant designs using timber, paper, and bamboo structures. In 2014, Ban won the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize and was described by the jury members as “a committed teacher who is not only a role model for younger generations, but also an inspiration.”
For more than three decades, Ban, the founder of Voluntary Architects’ Network, has collaborated with volunteers, locals and students to help those impacted by natural and man-made disasters. He used his extensive knowledge of recyclable materials to build the most cost-effective and simple designs and community structures for victims of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and war in many countries around the world.
His famous designs include the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France, the Aspen Art Museum, the paper emergency shelters and log houses, and the Cardboard Cathedral.
Sir David Alan Chipperfield CH
Sir David Alan Chipperfield CH, selected as the 2023 Laureate of The Pritzker Architecture Prize, is a civic architect, urban planner, and activist. Chipperfield reimagines the functionality and accessibility of new buildings, renovations, and restorations. His timeless modern design approach addresses the pressing issues related to climate change while seeking to transform social dynamics and revitalize urban spaces.
On his approach to architecture, he said on The Pritzker Architecture Prize website, “I think good architecture provides a setting, it’s there and it’s not there. Like all things that have great meaning, they’re both foreground and background, and I’m not so fascinated by foreground all the time. Architecture is something which can intensify and support and help our rituals and our lives. The experiences in life that I gravitate toward and enjoy most are when normal things have been made special as opposed to where everything is about the special.”
Jennifer Gurley
Based in Houston, TX, Jennifer Gurley is the talented owner and Interior Designer at Gurley Interiors. With a passion for creating sophisticated aesthetics, Jennifer expertly combines color, art, fabrics, furnishings, and lighting, seamlessly blending old and new elements. Graduating from The Art Institute of Houston’s Interior Design Program, she gained valuable experience as a design assistant for a reputable Houston-based designer. Jennifer’s portfolio showcases a diverse range of residential projects, including renovations, remodels, and furnishing existing builds, all reflecting her clients’ unique lifestyles.