CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Harvard GSD Wheelwright Prize

International competition for early-career architects to win $100,000 traveling fellowship
now accepting applications; deadline January 31, 2021

Cambridge, MA — The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is pleased to announce the 2021 cycle of the Wheelwright Prize, an open international competition that awards 100,000 USD to a talented early-career architect to support new forms of architectural research. The 2021 Wheelwright Prize is now accepting applications; the deadline for submissions is Sunday, January 31, 2021. This annual prize is dedicated to fostering expansive, intensive design research that shows potential to make a significant impact on architectural discourse.

The Wheelwright Prize is open to emerging architects practicing anywhere in the world. The primary eligibility requirement is that applicants must have received a degree from a professionally accredited architecture program in the past 15 years. An affiliation to the GSD is not required. Applicants are asked to submit a portfolio and research proposal that includes travel outside the applicant’s home country. In preparing a portfolio, applicants are encouraged to consider the various formats through which architectural research and practice can be expressed, including but not limited to built work, curatorial practice, written output, and other manifestations of research.

The winning architect is expected to dedicate roughly two years of concentrated research related to their proposal, and to present a lecture on their findings at the conclusion of that research. Throughout the research process, Wheelwright Prize jury members and other GSD faculty are committed to providing regular guidance and peer feedback, in support of the project’s overall growth and development.

In 2013, Harvard GSD recast the Arthur W. Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship—established in 1935 in memory of Wheelwright, Class of 1887—into its current form. Intended to encourage the study of architecture outside the United States at a time when international travel was difficult, the Fellowship was available only to GSD alumni. Past fellows have included Paul Rudolph, Eliot Noyes, William Wurster, Christopher Tunnard, I. M. Pei, Farès el-Dahdah, Adele Santos, and Linda Pollak.

Harvard GSD awarded the 2020 Wheelwright Prize to Daniel Fernández Pascual, whose winning proposal Being Shellfish: The Architecture of Intertidal Cohabitation examines the intertidal zone—coastal territory that is exposed to air at low tide, and covered with seawater at high tide—and its potential to advance architectural knowledge and material futures.

An international jury for the 2021 Wheelwright Prize will be announced in January 2021.

Applicants will be judged on the quality of their design work, scholarly accomplishments, originality or persuasiveness of the research proposal, evidence of ability to fulfill the proposed project, and potential for the proposed project to make important and direct contributions to architectural discourse. Applications are accepted online only, at wheelwrightprize.org; questions may be directed to info@wheelwrightprize.org.

Winners of the prize since 2013 are:
2020, Daniel Fernández Pascual (London) for his proposal to examine the intertidal zone and its potential to advance architectural knowledge and material futures

2019, Aleksandra Jaeschke (Austin, Texas) for her proposal to investigate greenhouse architecture and typologies around the world

2018, Aude-Line Dulière (Brussels) for her proposal to examine construction methods and supply systems in the global film industry

2017, Samuel Bravo (Santiago) for his proposal to examine traditional architectures and informal settlements, revisiting the subject of “architecture without architects”

2016, Anna Puigjaner (Barcelona) for her proposal to study exemplars of collective housing in Brazil, Sweden, Russia, Korea, and elsewhere

2015, Erik L’Heureux (Singapore) for his proposal to study architecture in five dense cities in the equatorial zone; click here to view the presentations of 2015 finalists including Malkit Shoshan (Amsterdam) and Quynh Vantu (London). L'Heureux presented his research as part of the GSD’s Fall 2017 lecture series; click here for a link to L'Heureux's lecture.

2014, Jose M. Ahedo (Barcelona) for his research on the architecture and organization of structures related to animal farming; click here for a link to Ahedo’s lecture.

2013, Gia Wolff (Brooklyn) for her study of the spectacular, temporary, urban-scale float structures that transform Rio de Janeiro during carnival; click here for a link to Wolff’s lecture.

Previous juries have included Anna Puigjaner, Sarah M. Whiting, Mark Lee, Megan Panzano, Tom Emerson, Wonne Ickx (2020 jury); Tatiana Bilbao, Loreta Castro Reguera, Eric Höweler, Erik L'Heureux, Megan Panzano (2019 jury); Jose Ahedo, Edward Eigen, Frida Escobedo, Mark Lee, and Michelle Wilkinson (2018 jury); Gordon Gill, Mariana Ibañez, and Gia Wolff (2017 jury); Rafael Moneo, Kiel Moe, Jeannie Kim, Benjamin Prosky, and Eva Franch i Gilabert (2016 jury); Craig Evan Barton, Preston Scott Cohen, Sarah Herda, and Elisa Silva (2015 jury); Iñaki Ábalos, Sílvia Benedito, Pedro Gadanho, Linda Pollak, and Shohei Shigematsu (2014 jury); Yung Ho Chang, Farès el-Dahdah, Farshid Moussavi, and Zoe Ryan (2013 jury), in addition to standing jury members Mohsen Mostafavi and K. Michael Hays.

INFORMATION
For information regarding Wheelwright Prize application
and administration, please contact: info@wheelwrightprize.org  

For media inquiries, please contact:
Travis Dagenais, TDagenais@gsd.harvard.edu  

#WheelwrightPrize   @HarvardGSD

About

General Information on the Wheelwright Prize

The Wheelwright Prize is an open international competition that awards $100,000 to a talented early-career architect to support an expansive, intensive design research project. The Prize is dedicated to advancing original architectural research that shows potential to make a significant impact on architectural discourse. We seek individual applicants who are accomplished but emerging, who are resourceful and risk-taking, and who can make the most of this extraordinary opportunity to advance a research project that will have a significant impact on his or her own professional development, and on the discipline of architecture as a whole.

The winner of the Wheelwright Prize will receive:

• $100,000 prize to support the proposed research project
• invitation to lecture at Harvard GSD
• possibility to publish research in a Harvard GSD publication

 

Background on the Arthur W. Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship

Established in 1935 in memory of Arthur W. Wheelwright, Class of 1887, this traveling fellowship has afforded extraordinary experiences for generations of Harvard GSD alumni. The fellowship was conceived at a time when foreign travel was out of reach for many. The prize enabled several early Wheelwright fellows—including Paul Rudolph (1937–38), Eliot Noyes (1939–40), William Wurster (1942–43), and I. M. Pei (1950–51)—to embark on expeditions that largely followed the tradition of the Grand European Tour.

See a full list of past winners of the Arthur W. Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship.

Eligibility

• Applicant must have graduated from a professionally accredited architecture degree program in the past 15 years. (Graduates prior to January 2006 are ineligible.) Holders of multiple degrees may apply, provided they received their professional degrees between January 2006 and January 2021. Applicants need not be registered or licensed.
• Applicants may not have received the Arthur Wheelwright Traveling Fellowship previously.
• Winners of the Wheelwright Prize may not hold other fellowships concurrently.
• The Wheelwright Prize is available to individual entrants only; teams or firms will not be considered.
• Current Harvard GSD faculty, instructors, and staff are not eligible.
• For winners based in the United States, some amount of research must be undertaken outside the country.
• The Wheelwright Prize is intended for independent study and may not be applied to university tuition. However, the grant may be applied to fees for workshops and conferences.

Application

The application process is entirely online. No submissions will be accepted by mail. The 2021 Wheelwright Prize is now accepting applications. Deadline for submissions is January 31, 2021. There is no fee to submit an application.

Applicants must submit the following. (Materials must be in English.)

1. Current CV.
2. Portfolio (maximum of 10 images); each uploaded file should contain a single image, not spreads of multiple images. Each image must be dated and captioned. The jury is looking for personal work that demonstrates design talent; student projects may be included. If work is collaborative and/or generated by a firm, the applicant’s contribution to the work must specifically involve conceptual development and/or design, and the applicant’s role must be precisely identified.
3. The portfolio may be supplemented by published articles or research papers written by applicant. Authored works should appear in their original format, with publication name and date clearly indicated (maximum 3, each clipping to be saved as a separate PDF). If original publication is not in English, please attach an English-language summary (maximum 2,500 characters) as an addendum to each PDF. If the clipping exceeds 15 pages, please create a compact PDF (no more than 10 pages) including a cover, sample pages, and brief summary (2,500 characters) of the text.
4. A written description of proposed research project (maximum 6,000 characters). Applicants should articulate the relevance of their proposed research to the contemporary discipline of architecture. What are the consequences of the research project? How might it impact practice? Applicants should describe their proposed methodology and special insight, ability, and skill to execute your proposal. Strong proposals will demonstrate how the resources of the Wheelwright Prize will enable the project to be successful.
5. List of three professional references (full name, affiliation, contact information, and relationship to the applicant). Letters are not required at this time.

 

2021 Wheelwright Prize Jury will be announced in January.

2020 Jury
Anna Puigjaner, Sarah M. Whiting, Mark Lee, Megan Panzano,
Tom Emerson, Wonne Ickx

2019 Jury
Tatiana Bilbao, Loreta Castro Reguera, K. Michael Hays, Eric Höweler,
Erik L'Heureux, Mohsen Mostafavi, Megan Panzano

2018 Jury
Jose Ahedo, Edward Eigen, Frida Escobedo, Michael Hays, Mark Lee,
Mohsen Mostafavi, Michelle Wilkinson

2017 Jury
Gordon Gill, Mariana Ibañez, Gia Wolff, K. Michael Hays, Mohsen Mostafavi

2016 Jury
Eva Franch i Gilabert, Jeannie Kim, Kiel Moe, Rafael Moneo, Benjamin Prosky,
K. Michael Hays, Mohsen Mostafavi

2015 Jury
Craig Evan Barton, Preston Scott Cohen, Sarah Herda, Elisa Silva, K. Michael Hays

2014 Jury
Iñaki Ábalos, Sílvia Benedito, Pedro Gadanho, Linda Pollak, Shohei Shigematsu,
Mohsen Mostafavi, Jorge Silvetti

2013 Jury
Yung Ho Chang, Farès el-Dahdah, Farshid Moussavi, Zoe Ryan,
Mohsen Mostafavi, K. Michael Hays, Jorge Silvetti

Press 2018

2018 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Press 2017

Samuel Bravo Wins 2017 Wheelwright Prize


2017 Wheelwright Prize Announces Jury

2017 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Press 2016

Anna Puigjaner Wins 2016 Wheelwright Prize


Harvard GSD Announces 2016 Wheelwright Prize Finalists

2016 Wheelwright Prize Announces Jury

2016 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Press 2015

Erik L'Heureux Wins 2015 Wheelwright Prize


Harvard GSD Announces 2015 Wheelwright Prize Finalists

2015 Wheelwright Prize Announces Jury

2015 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Press 2014

Jose M. Ahedo Wins 2014 Wheelwright Prize


Harvard GSD Announces 2014 Wheelwright Prize Finalists

2014 Wheelwright Prize Announces Jury

2014 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Press 2013

Gia Wolff Wins 2013 Wheelwright Prize


2013 Wheelwright Prize Announces Jury

2013 Wheelwright Prize General Release

Contact

For information regarding Wheelwright Prize application
and administration, please contact: info@wheelwrightprize.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
Travis Dagenais, TDagenais@gsd.harvard.edu  

FAQs — Frequently Asked Questions

1. I’m uncertain if my degree qualifies me to apply.
   The Wheelwright Prize is intended to support research that will impact practice. For this reason, we are making it available to those who have received a degree from a professionally accredited architecture program—in other words, a program that is the prerequisite to take licensure exams. Because degree programs vary from country to country, we do not specify the degree name or number of years in a program, but we expect applicants to hold the international equivalents of the U.S. professional architecture degree, the 5-year BArch or MArch I. Applicants must have received this degree in the 15 years prior to the prize cycle. (For example, applicants to the 2015 Wheelwright Prize cycle must have completed their degrees between 2000 and the prize deadline.) Holders of multiple degrees may apply, provided the architecture degree was conferred within the past 15 years. Professional degrees in landscape architecture, urban planning, Ph.Ds, post-docs, et cetera, do not alone satisfy the eligibility requirement. There are other fellowships available for doctoral or post-doctoral research. This prize is intended for young practitioners.




2. Do I have to be licensed?
   No.




3. Do I have to have completed any built projects?
   No.




4. Can I apply with a partner?
   No. The original terms of the fellowship specifies that the prize be awarded to single individual each year. Jurors review portfolios to assess personal talent and potential. Prizewinners may opt to collaborate with partners after the prize is conferred.




5. What does the registration entail?
   The registration involves simply starting your application. You may opt not to complete or submit your application, of course. There is no fee to submit an application. It costs nothing to register.




6. The portfolio requirement states that each slide should contain one image each.
   Can I combine images?
   The jury reviews the submissions as a projected slideshow. Slides that include several images are less legible than single images. We strongly advise against complicated portfolio-style layouts on single slides. If you must combine images, we recommend that you do not include more than 2 or 3 images. You will not be disqualified but please be aware that the jury has a limited amount of time to understand your work and legibility should be a priority.




7. How do I secure “copyright and permissions” related to my artwork?
   We reserve the right to use any aspect of your submission to promote the Wheelwright Prize. Applicants are expected to secure reprint permission for the images they include in their applications. If you are submitting professional photographs, you must secure the photographer’s consent in the event that Harvard GSD decides to publish the work in conjunction with news about the prize. If the work belongs to a firm, the firm should be aware that it is included in your submission and may be reproduced in conjunction with news about this prize. We will ensure that all published images are captioned to include appropriate credits, as provided by applicants.




8. What do you mean by “personal” work?
   We encourage you to submit work that demonstrates your personal design interests, approach, and “voice.” We understand that young architects are not likely to have a significant body of completed work. Speculative and student work are not only acceptable but expected! We also expect that many young architects may have spent extended periods working in firms. It is fine to submit firm work, though please include only projects with which you were substantially involved, and specify your role (preferably with respect to design).




9. May I submit materials by mail?
   No, all applications must be submitted via our online platform.




10. If I have applied in the past, may I reapply?
    Yes! We encourage people to reapply. Every year, the jury changes as does the applicant pool. Please try again! The application platform makes it easy for those reapplying to import their previously entered information. When you log in, you will see the information related to your previous application. Be sure to select the current prize program.




11. Do I need to get letters of recommendation from my references?
    You do not need to submit letters at this time. If you are selected as a finalist, we will contact your references. We strongly advise that you notify your references about your application, should they be contacted.




12. I am encountering problems with the online application platform, the registration fee, or having other technical difficulties.
    Please email info@wheelwrightprize.org if you experience any problems with the online platform or difficulties completing your submission.




13. What are the obligations of the prizewinner?
    The winner of the Wheelwright Prize is expected to commence his/her research project within 12 months of winning the prize, and to complete it within 2 years. Winners based in the United States are expected to undertake some amount of research outside the country. Winners are not required to submit a report, but they will be invited to participate in programs at Harvard GSD (lecture series, publications, exhibitions).

Past Fellows

2020	Daniel Fernández Pascual, MArch 2008, ETSA Madrid, M.Sc. 2009, TU Berlin, M.Sc. 2010, Tongji University Shanghai, Ph.D. 2015, Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths, University of London — Research Being Shellfish: The Architecture of Intertidal Cohabitation Finalists: Bryony Roberts, New York, NY; and Gustavo Utrabo, São Paulo, Brazil.
2019	Aleksandra Jaeschke, DDes 2018, Harvard GSD — Research UNDER WRAPS: Architecture and Culture of Greenhouses Finalists: Maria Shéhérazade Giudici, London; and Garrett Ricciardi, Los Angeles, CA.
2018	Aude-Line Dulière, MArch 2009, Harvard GSD — Research Crafted Images: Material Flows, Techniques, and Uses in Set Design Construction Finalists: José Esparza Chong Cuy,Chicago, IL; Gustavo Utrabo, São Paulo, Brazil; and Catty Dan Zhang, Charlotte, NC.
2017	Samuel Bravo, BArch 2009, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile — Research Projectless: Architecture of Informal Settlements Finalists: Lucia Cella, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina; Andjela Karabašević, Belgrade, Serbia; and Farzin Lotfi-Jam, New York, NY.
2016	Anna Puigjaner, BArch 2004, MArch 2008, Ph.D. 2014, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona-Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya — Research Kitchenless City: Architectural Systems for Social Welfare Finalists: Samuel Bravo, Santiago, Chile; Matilde Cassani, Milan; Pierpaolo Tamburelli, Milan
2015	Erik L'Heureux, BArch 1996, Washington University in St. Louis MArch 2000, Princeton University — Research Hot and Wet: The Equatorial City and the Architectures of Atmosphere Finalists: Malkit Shoshan, Amsterdam; Quynh Vantu, London
2014	Jose M. Ahedo, MArch II 2008, Harvard GSD — Research Domesticated Grounds: Design and Domesticity Within an Animal Farming System Finalists: Ana Dana Beros, Zagreb; Alison Crawshaw, London; Masaki Iwamoto, Ho Chi Minh City; Jimenez Lai, Chicago, IL; Sean Lally, Chicago, IL; Kaz Yoneda, Tokyo
2013	Gia Wolff, MArch 2008, Harvard GSD — Research Floating City: The Community-Based Architecture of Parade Floats

2010-2011	Elisa Silva MArch '02	Interpreting Design Knowledge Through Latin American Slum Upgrading Efforts
2009-2010	Ying Zhou MArch '07	Urban loopholes and pragmatist landscapes: spatial productions and the Shanghai Expo 2010
2008-2009	Mason White MArch '01	Meltdown: Thawing Geographies in Arctic Russia
2007-2008	Carlos Arnaiz MArch '03	Four Experiments in Urbanism: The Modern University City in Latin America
2006-2007	Miho Mazereeuw MArch/MLA '02	Post-Disaster Architecture and Urbanism: 3 Cities along the Ring of Fire
2005-2006	Joshua Comaroff MArch/MLA '01	The Archaeology of Afro-Modernism
2004-2005	Cecilia Tham MArch '02	The Roundabout Spectacle
2003-2004	Ker-Shing Ong MArch/MLA '02	A City in Miniature
2002-2003	Jeannie Kim MArch '00	Stuck in the Middle Again
2001-2002	Sze Tsung Leong MArch '98	Endangered Spaces: The Casualties of Chinese Modernization
2000-2001	Farès el-Dahdah MArch '96	Utopian Superblocks: The Evolution of Brasilia's 1,200 Housing Slabs since 1960
1999-2000	Paolo Bercah MAUD '89 DDES '92	Architecture/Celebration
1998-1999	Nana Last MArch '86	Cartesian Grounds: The Extended Planes of Modernism
1996-1997	James Favaro MArch '82	The Influence of Underground Transportation on the Development of Cities
1995-1996	Raveervarn Choksombatchai MArch '87	Seam: Connecting Spatial Fabric
1994-1995	Edwin Y. Chan MArch'85	The Glass Building Revisited
1993-1994	Richard M. Sommer MArch '88	Traces of the Iron Curtain: A Creative Redescription
1992-1993	Jeffrey A. Murphy MArch '86	Housing Courtyards of the Amsterdam School
1991-1992	Roger Sherman MArch '85	The Simulation of Nature: Alvar Aalto and the Architecture of Mis en Scene
1990-1991	Holly Getch MArch '91	Conventions of Representation and Strategies of Urban Space from the 18th to the Early 20th Centuries: Juvarra, Repton, Schinkel, Le Corbusier
1989-1990	Wellington Reiter MArch '86	The Walled City Reconsidered: A Study of Roman Passage Architecture
1988-1989	Elizabeth A. Williams MArch '85	Event, Place, Precedent: The Urban Festival in Western Europe
1987-1988	Linda Pollak MArch '85	The Picturesque Promenade: Temporal Order in the Space of Modernism
1986-1987	Christopher Doyle MArch '85	Sequence and Microsequence: Urban Drama in Baroque Italy
	Frances Hsu MArch '85	Transformation of the Landscape in Modernism: Gardens of Alvar Aalto and Le Corbusier
1985-1986	Paul John Grayson MArch '56	Housing and Lifecare Facilities Planning and Design for the Elderly in Japan, Israel, Europe
1982-1983	Joanna Lombard MArch '77	American Gardens and the European Precedent: A Design Analysis of Public Space and Cultural Translation
1981-1982	Hector R. Arce MArch '77	The Grid as Underlying Structure: A Study of the Urbanism of Gridded Cities in Latin America
1979-1980	Nelson K. Chen MArch '78	Indigenous Patterns of Housing and Processes of Urban Development in Europe and Southeast Asia
1978-1979	Susie Kim MAUD, '77	Time-Lapse Architecture in Sicily
1976-1977	Corky Poster MArch '73
	Leon J. Goldberg MArch '72	Housing Facilities for the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Study
1974-1975	Alan Chimacoff MArch '68	An Investigation of the Relationship between Architecture and Urban Design of Significant European Urban Centers and their Exploration of Formal, Spatial, Geometric, Proportional, and Scalar Characteristics
1973-1974	Klaus Herdeg MAUD '64	Formal Structure of Public Architecture in Persia and Turkestan
1972-1973	Ozdemir Erginsav MArch '61, MAUD '63
1971-1972	Minoru Takeyama MArch '60
1970-1971	Theodore Liebman MArch '63
1969-1970	Robert Kramer MArch '60
1968-1969	Adele Marie de Souza Santos MAUD '63
1967-1968	William H. Liskamm MArch '56
1966-1967	William Lindemulder MArch '58
1965-1966	Peter Woytok MArch '62
1964-1965	William Morgan MArch '58
1963-1964	Paul Krueger MArch '59
1962-1963	B. Frank Schlesinger MArch '54	Water and the Urban Image
1961-1962	Albert Szabo MArch '52
1960-1961	Donald Craig Freeman MArch '57
1959-1960	John C. Haro MArch '55
1958-1959	Paul Mitarachi MArch '50
1957-1958	Don Hisaka MArch '53
1956-1957	George F. Conley BArch '53
1955-1956	Dolf Hermann Schnebli MArch '54
1954-1955	Ferdinand Frederick Bruck
1953-1954	Royal Alfred McClure MArch '47
1952-1953	William J. Conklin MArch '50
	Gottfied Paul Csala BArch '54
	Helmut Jacoby BArch '54
	Edward Stutt MArch '53
1951-1952	Frederick D. Holister MArch '53
	Donald Emanuel Olsen MArch '46
1950-1951	Ieoh Ming Pei MArch '46
	Jacek von Henneberg MArch '51
	Jerry Neal Leibman
1949-1950	Henry Louis Horowitz MArch '50
	Jean Claude Mazet MArch '50
	Edward Chase Weren
	George Elliot Rafferty MArch '50
1948-1949	Vaughn Papworth Call MRP '49
1947-1948	Joseph Douglas Carroll, Jr. MCP '47
1946-1947	Jean Paul Carlhian MCP '47
	Noel Buckland Dant MRP '48
	Martin Daniel Meyerson MCP '49
1945-1946	William Lindus Cody Wheaton
	Kurt Augustus Mumm BCP '46
	Ira Rakatansky MArch '46
	Stanley Salzman MArch '46
1944-1945	Robert William Blachnik MArch '45
	Alvaro Ortega MArch '45
	Theodore Jan Prichard MArch '44
	Helge Westermann MArch '48
1943-1944	Christopher Tunnard
1942-1943	Albert Evans Simonson
	William W. Wurster
1941-1942	Phillip Emile Joseph
1940-1941	Leonard James Currie MArch '38
1939-1940	Eliot Fette Noyes MArch '38
1938-1939	Walter H.Kilham, Jr. MArch '28
1937-1938	Constantine A. Pertzoff
1936-1937	Newton Ellis Griffith
	Paul Marvin Rudolph MArch '47
	Walter Egan Trevett
1935-1936	RPrentice Bradley MArch '33

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