A Look at This Year's National Design Award Winners
Lifetime Achievement: Moshe Safdie An architect, urbanist, planner, educator, theorist and author, Moshe Safdie has worn many hats over the years. Three years after completing his studies at McGill University, the Israeli-Canadian architect completed his first built project, Habitat '67, a model for community housing that remains seminal today. Originally conceived as his master's thesis project, the structure, completed in 1967, comprises a collage of 354 prefabricated units.
Director's Award: Make It Right Nonprofit organization Make It Right, founded by Brad Pitt in 2007, received the Director's Award for its focus on building homes and structures for communities in need. All of its projects-including this 1,780-square-foot, LEED Platinum certified home designed by Frank Gehry in New Orleans, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina-are made with an eye towards sustainable practices.
Corporate and Institutional Achievement: Center for Urban Pedagogy Since its founding in 2001, New York City-based nonprofit Center for Urban Pedagogy has engaged in civic engagement with communities in need. CUP produces educational tools, like this kit of accessible materials on issues pertaining to affordable housing, to imrpove awareness about complex public policies and advocate for social justice.
Architecture Design: Marlon Blackwell Architects Fayetteville, Arkansas-based architect and educator Marlon Blackwell creates structures that blend vernacular and contemporary forms. The Ruth Lily Visitors Pavilion, designed for the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana, picture here, was completed in 2010.
Design Mind: Bruce Mau After 25 years in the design business, innovator, author and designer Bruce Mau founded his consulting firm, Massive Change Network, in 2010. Applying design thinking to a wide swath of disciplines and for clients and countries worldwide, he has designed and authored on more than 200 books over the span of his career.
Fashion Design: Opening Ceremony Carol Lim and Humberto Leon first met as undergraduates of the University of California, Berkeley, before relocating to New York and cofounding concept fashion boutique Opening Ceremony. The venture has since blossomed into an international brand, with original collections for men and women, retail stores in New York, Los Angeles, Nagoya and Tokyo; and a recurring set of impossibly cool collaborations, like this 2014 capsule collection featuring works by French surrealist Rene Magritte.
Communication Design: Geoff McFetridge The output of Los Angeles-based graphic designer and artist Geoff McFetridge takes myriad forms, from whole building facades, to museum installations-like this 2008 multimedia show, In the Mind, at the Seattle Art Museum-to posters, books, and packaging. Through his design studio, Champion Graphics, McFetridge has always maintained an independent practice.
Interactive Design: Tellart The interactive designs of international studio Tellart, founded in 2000 by Matt Cottam and Nick Scappaticci, aren't just confined to screen interfaces. Their team of designers, engineers, and filmmakers concept engaging works across digital and physical mediums, including this installation-the first fully Web-accessible museum exhibition-with Google for the Chrome Web Lab.
Product Design: Ammunition Working across product design, service design, brand identity, user experience, graphics, and packing, 60-person firm Ammunition has worked with a range of brands, including Beats by Dr. Dre, Lyft, Polaraoid, and more. Pictured is the June Intelligent Oven, the first truly intelligent countertop oven, designed in 2015.
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