Winners of Emerging Voices 2014

The Architectural League of New York announced today the eight winners of Emerging Voices 2014. The prestigious invite-only, portfolio competition recognizes emerging and potentially influential firms and individuals based in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.

This year's winners were selected by the jury for their alternative forms of practice and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as their accomplishments in the design and academic communities.

They are:

• David Benjamin, The Living, New York
• Joyce Hwang, Ants of the Prairie, Buffalo
• Salvador Macías Corona and Magui Peredo Arenas, Estudio Macías Peredo, Guadalajara
• Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, Rael San Fratello, Oakland
• Mauricio Rocha Iturbide and Gabriela Carrillo Valadez, TALLER |MauricioRocha+GabrielaCarrillo|, Mexico City
• Basar Girit, Aleksey Lukyanov-Cherny, Wes Rozen, and Bradley Samuels, SITU Studio, Brooklyn
• Geoff di Girolamo, James Lord, and Roderick Wyllie, Surfacedesign, Inc., San Francisco
• Betsy Williamson, Shane Williamson, and Donald Chong, Williamson Chong Architects, Toronto

Keep reading to learn more about the winners and other details.

David Benjamin, The Living, New York 

"New Yorkʼs The Living explores – through installations such as Mussel Choir, exhibited at the Venice Biennale, and the NYCEDC project EcoPark – “how new technologies come to life in the built environment.” The Living was just named as the winner of the MoMA/PS1 Young Architects Program."

Joyce Hwang, Ants of the Prairie, Buffalo

"Ants of the Prairie is an arts and research practice “dedicated to developing creative approaches in confronting the pleasures and horrors of our contemporary ecologies,” as seen in work such as Bat Cave and Bat Cloud and the currently under construction bird and bat Habitat Wall."

Salvador Macías Corona and Magui Peredo Arenas, Estudio Macías Peredo, Guadalajara

"Estudio Macías Peredo, acknowledging “the understanding of our regional situation (geographically and socio-culturally), where [a] craftsman is part of the building process,” embraces ideas of critical regionalism, as explored in the residences Casa Atlas and Casa Arenas."

Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, Rael San Fratello, Oakland

"Rael San Fratello shies away from working within a set philosophy, trying rather “not to define, but rather to constantly redefine ourselves” with projects, ranging from the art installation Prada Marfa to their winning entry in the Sukkah City competition, 'Sukkah of the Signs, aka the Homeless House,' that 'try to do the most with the least.'"

Mauricio Rocha Iturbide and Gabriela Carrillo Valadez, TALLER |MauricioRocha+GabrielaCarrillo|,  Mexico City

"TALLER IMauricioRocha+GabrielaCarrilloI focuses on “the importance of the vernacular, craftsmanship, sustainability, and socially-responsible design” in projects such as Plastic Arts School, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca and the Hall for the Visually Impaired, Ciudadela."

Basar Girit, Aleksey Lukyanov-Cherny, Wes Rozen, and Bradley Samuels, SITU Studio, Brooklyn

"The firmʼs Brooklyn-based studio, divided between design and fabrication spaces, enables their goal to “leverage fabrication efficiencies, material re-use, flexible assemblies, and community involvement to create spaces that engage in living relationships with the urban context.” Projects have included the ReOrder installation in the Brooklyn Museum Great Hall; Heartwalk, installed in Times Square; and mapping and analysis projects."

Geoff di Girolamo, James Lord, and Roderick Wyllie, Surfacedesign, Inc., San Francisco

"The landscape architecture and urban design practice Surface Design, Inc. focuses on creating landscapes that emphasize “personal histories and connections between culture and natural environment” with projects ranging in scale from domestic projects, to San Franciscoʼs Golden Gate Bridge Plaza, to Stonesfields Quarry Park in Auckland, New Zealand."

Betsy Williamson, Shane Williamson, and Donald Chong, Williamson Chong Architects, Toronto

"'Context, materials research, economies of construction, building performance, and client-based collaboration' all shape the design approach of Williamson Chong Architects. Their work ranges in scale from furniture to master planning, including the House in Frogs Hollow and the Abby Gardens Food Community master plan."

Winners will present lectures at the Scholastic Auditorium in Soho in March. Tickets are required. The League will present digital features on each of the eight firms, exploring their work and design “voice” through interviews, video, and documentation of their work, available in April.

This yearʼs jury included Fred Bernstein, Paul Lewis, Kate Orff, Thomas Phifer, Annabelle Selldorf, and Adam Yarinsky. Emerging Voices is organized by League Program Director Anne Rieselbach.

Past Emerging Voices have included Morphosis; Steven Holl; Tod Williams; Toshiko Mori; Enrique Norten; Deborah Berke; Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works; Michael Maltzan; Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi; James Corner of Field Operations; Adam Yarinsky and Stephen Cassell of ARO; SHoP Architects; Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects; Jeanne Gang; Amale Andraos and Dan Wood of WORKac; and Teddy Cruz.

Images courtesy The Architectural League of New York.