BOSTON, May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is delighted
to announce that renowned Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao will be this year's commencement
speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate. She will deliver
the commencement speech on Friday, May
24.
By seamlessly merging research and design,
Tatiana's innovative approach serves as an inspiration for BAC
graduates.
Tatiana Bilbao joins a
distinguished lineup of recent Commencement speakers at the
College, which includes Polish American architect Daniel Libeskind, architect Billie Tsien, Pritzker Prize winning Indian
architect and planner Balkrishna
Doshi, architect and planner Moshe
Safdie, landscape architect and artist Martha Schwartz, and BAC alum and
Cuban-American, Robert (Bob) J.
Vila, a home improvement television show host best known for
"This Old House."
"As the BAC continues to honor design visionaries, we are
thrilled to recognize acclaimed architect Tatiana Bilbao as our commencement speaker and
an honorary doctorate recipient for professional excellence," said
President Mahesh Daas. "Tatiana's
commitment to incorporating culture, people, and thoughtful design
methods into her work resonates deeply with our institution's
principles."
"By seamlessly merging research and design, her innovative
approach serves as a beacon, and an inspiration for our graduates
to envision architecture and urban design as catalysts for positive
transformation—fostering environments characterized by empathy,
resilience, and inclusivity."
Based in Mexico City,
Tatiana Bilbao began her studio,
Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO, in 2004 with the aim of research, design,
community-led strategies, and responsible construction.
The studio's projects range from urban masterplans to
affordable housing strategies, from city planning to furniture
design. The goal of their work is to design for and with the people
as they believe that architecture is a primary form of care.
Prior to founding her eponymous firm, she held the role of
Advisor in the Ministry of Development and Housing of the
Government of the Federal District of Mexico City and was part of the General
Development Directorate of the Advisory Council for Urban
Development in the City.
"Receiving such a distinction [from The Boston Architectural
College] is both an honor and a responsibility, to both I am truly
thankful," said Tatiana Bilbao.
"Graduating in the world today is also a big responsibility that is
carried after a huge privilege—not to underestimate the struggles
that each graduate passed through to arrive here, but taking into
account that only 16 percent of the global population are able to
receive a professional degree—this is a privilege."
"It's a proven fact that architecture has an absolute power of
shaping societies. The responsibility of these [BAC] graduates is
how they will use those tools to shape a world where skills learned
in an educational environment will transcend from a privilege to an
opportunity for all."
The studio's architectural work includes: ESTOA, a university
building on the UDEM campus; the Culiacan Botanical Garden; the
Pilgrimage Route in Jalisco; an
affordable social housing prototype displayed at the 2015 Chicago
Biennial; three housing buildings in Lyon
France; The Research Center of the Sea of Cortez;
Olive West, a new housing
development in St Louis, among
others.
As a leading global designer, Tatiana
Bilbao has received numerous accolades including recognition
of the Kunstpreis Berlin in 2012; named in 2010 as an Emerging
Voice by the Architecture League of New
York; Global Award for Sustainable Architecture Prize by the
LOCUS Foundation in 2014; Marcus Prize Award 2019; Tau Sigma Delta
Gold Medal of 2020 as well as the Honorary Fellow of the Royal
Architectural Institute of Canada
(RAIC) in 2021, the Richard Neutra
Award in 2022, the AW Architect of the Year in 2022, and the most
recent, the J.Irwin and Xenia. S Miller Prize Award in 2023.
She holds a recurring teaching position at Yale University School of Architecture and has
taught at Harvard University GSD,
Columbia University GSAPP, Rice University, University of Andres Bello in Chile, and Peter
Behrens School of Arts at HS Dusseldorf in Germany. Her work has been published in The
New York Times, A + U, Domus, among
others.
About the BAC:
Founded in 1889, The Boston Architectural College (BAC)
stands as a leading institution in spatial design, recently ranked
#4 Best College for Architecture in America by Niche among 240
institutions. The BAC has also been rated #1 for Best Graduate
School in Architecture for Earning Potential and #4 for Best
Architecture School Offering Bachelor's Degrees in the U.S. in 2020
by GradReports. Renowned for its diverse student body representing
over 54 countries, the BAC offers bachelor and graduate degrees in
architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, and
design studies, alongside continuing education certificates and
courses. The BAC's dedication to its mission to diversify the
design profession, is reflected in its commitment to accessibility
through offering onsite or online learning options. Embracing
inclusive admission, diversity, and innovation, the BAC fosters a
community of dedicated faculty and students committed to both
academic excellence and practical experience.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mexican-architect-tatiana-bilbao-to-receive-honorary-doctorate-at-boston-architectural-colleges-2024-commencement-302138745.html
SOURCE Boston Architectural College