Sheila Kennedy wins 2014 Berkley-Rupp prize

2011 Fuller Challenge Semi-Finalist Sheila Kennedy, principal of KVA Matx, a design firm known for material innovation in architecture and urbanism has been awarded the prestigious Berkeley-Rupp Prize for boosting women in architecture and sustainability. Kennedy is also a Professor of the Practice of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture & Planning, the first woman to hold that position at MIT.

Kennedy is known for her work with soft infrastructure and material innovation. She often uses soft materials, such as paper and bio-plastics to solve design problems in novel ways. She worked on 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. As part of her research during her time at Berkley, she will partner with NGOs to develop systematic approaches to solving problems with soft materials.

Every two years, UC Berkley’s College of Environmental Design (CED) awards the $100,000 Berkley-Rupp Prize to a designer or academic who has made a significant advancement in gender equality in the architectural field. The prize rewards potential recipients for work that emphasizes sustainability and community. The prize includes a semester-long professorship, public lecture and gallery exhibition at CED.

Read more: Berkeley News Center