5 studios awarded the 2018-19 Miller Prize for architecture in community

The 2018-19 J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize has been awarded to 5 studios for connecting people to places and community through architecture. The prize is presented by Exhibit Columbus, which celebrates the design legacy of Columbus, Indiana through an annual exploration of architecture, art, design, and community. Studios were chosen as international leaders in their fields for their unique perspectives on architecture as interaction between people. The award recognizes commitment to the transformative power of architecture, art, and design in improving people’s lives and making cities stronger. 

MASS Design Group (Boston, MA)

The nonprofit architecture firm operates with the understanding that all architecture is embedded in a social, cultural, and political context. Led by a collective of principals, the firm is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and Kigali, Rwanda. They have built a reputation for sensitive projects that strengthen community ties and use architecture to heal.

SO-IL (New York, NY)

Led by Florian Idenburg, Jing Liu, and Ilias Papageorgiou, SO-IL’s work is grounded in the conviction that architecture’s power resides in its ability to affect humankind for the better. Their participatory practice has resulted in award-winning spaces for creativity, innovation, culture, learning and living around the globe.

Frida Escobedo Studio (Mexico City, Mexico)

Principal Frida Escobedo produces work that ranges from art installation and furniture design to residential and public buildings in Mexico and around the world. The projects produced at the studio operate within a theoretical framework that addresses time not as a historical calibration, but rather a social operation.

Agency Landscape + Planning (Cambridge, MA)

The studio was formed by landscape architect Gina Ford and planner Brie Hensold to address social equity, cultural vitality, and environmental resilience. The firm participated in the Rebuild by Design competition, a two-year examination of the post-Hurricane Sandy landscape, and is currently leading the White River Vision Plan, a year-long strategic plan for 58 miles of the White River in Indiana.

Bryony Roberts Studio (New York, NY)

Founder and principal Bryony Roberts argues for greater exchanges between the fields of architecture, art, and preservation in order to develop new modes of creativity in relation to historical sites. The firm's work involves close collaboration with communities who are seeking to preserve and sustain their own histories.