2014 Berkeley-Rupp Prize awarded to Sheila Kennedy of KVA MATx

Sheila Kennedy — a principal of architecture firm KVA MATx and the first woman to hold the title of Professor of the Practice of Architecture at MIT’s School of Architecture & Planning — was announced today as the 2014 recipient of the Berkeley-Rupp Prize.  Awarded every two years by the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (CED), Kennedy is the second recipient, following Deborah Berke of Deborah Berke Partners who won the inaugural prize in 2012.

The $100,000 Berkeley-Rupp Prize is awarded to a distinguished design practitioner or academic who has made valuable contributions to the advancement of gender equity in the field of architecture. The recipient is also recognized for their work that shows commitment to sustainability and community. The prize includes a semester-long professorship, a public lecture, and a gallery exhibition at the CED.

Kennedy is scheduled to begin her period of residence in January 2015. She will then give a public lecture on soft infrastructure on February 4, and finally an open studio exhibition showcasing her work-in-progress at UC Berkeley's Wurster Hall from April 8-May 15.

Read on for more about Kennedy's work.

"As part of her research, Kennedy will partner with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to engage communities of fabricators in three developing regions around the world. She will lead UC Berkeley students in computation, architectural design, engineering, and city planning in a series of hands-on design workshops exploring new urban infrastructure."

"Using soft materials—from paper to wood to bio-plastic—the group will develop open-source digital fabrication techniques and create adaptable prototypes such as pop-up solar streetlights, soft refridgeration kits for bicycle vendors, and public benches that collect and clean fresh water. These prototypes will be exhibited at UC Berkeley and fabrication kits will be shared with NGOs and the public online."

"Kennedy’s award winning projects in Brazil, France, Germany, China, and the United States include notable building commissions with leading research universities; the East River Public Ferry Terminal in Manhattan; the Soft House work/live residences in Hamburg, Germany; Boston’s Chrysanthemum Building, a low-carbon model for urban housing; the Minneapolis RiverFirst Initiative; and the Portable Light Project, a global initiative for portable clean energy and lighting."

The Berkeley-Rupp Prize nominating committee comprised of:

• Deborah Berke, founder of the New York City-based architectural firm Deborah Berke Partners
• Lucy Berman, trustee of the Sigrid Rupp Trust
• Tom Buresh, UC Berkeley professor and chair of architecture
• Yung Ho Chang, principal architect at Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, professor of architecture at MIT and a professor at Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning
• Madhavi Desai, partner at ARCHICRAFTS Studio
• Kumiko Inui, principal with Kumiko Inui
• Lisa Kleissner, trustee of the Sigrid Rupp Trust
• Cathleen McGuigan, editor-in-chief of Architectural Record
• Marilyn Jordan Taylor, dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design
• Susan Ubbelohde, a UC Berkeley architecture professor and principal at Loisos + Ubbelohde
• Allison G. Williams, vice president and director of design at AECOM
• CED Dean Jennifer Wolch

See more of Sheila Kennedy's work in the thumbnail gallery below.

Photos courtesy of 2014 Berkeley-Rupp Prize. Thumbnail images via rupp.ced.berkeley.edu.