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SOM Foundation
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Current Fellows

Since 1981, the SOM Foundation has supported the work of more than 300 emerging architects, landscape architects, interior architects, urban designers, and engineers. Below are the most recent recipients of the SOM Foundation's awards. A comprehensive list of all past fellows can be found here.

2022 Structural Engineering Fellowship

Somf 2022 structural engineering luis berg arboskin itke
Somf 2022 structural engineering luis berg arc green school ibuku

An Ontological Study of Structures and Their Materiality

Luis Berg will explore the relationships among material, people, and nature through case studies of select structures to understand their connection to three core concepts: community impact, environmental sustainability, and engineering innovation. The aim is to motivate material use that, respecting culture and generating knowledge, builds for a better and more efficient tomorrow.

Luis Berg
University of California, Berkeley

2021 Research Prize

Somf 2021 research prize davis gursoy oghazian ghazvinian west pecchia proposal 01

MycoKnit: Cultivating Mycelium-Based Composites on Knitted Textiles for Large-Scale Biodegradable Architectural Structures

“MycoKnit” aims to explore the interrelated behavior of mycelium-based composites and knitted textiles, where the knit is used as a growing base for mycelium materials, to offer a sustainable and biodegradable building material and structural system that is strong in both tension and compression.

Felecia Davis
Pennsylvania State University Department of Architecture

Ali Ghazvinian
Pennsylvania State University Department of Architecture

Benay Gürsoy
Pennsylvania State University Department of Architecture

Farzaneh Oghazian
Pennsylvania State University Department of Architecture

John Pecchia
Pennsylvania State University Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

Andre West
North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles

Somf 2021 research prize lokko dyson proposal 01
Somf 2021 research prize lokko dyson proposal 03

Soil Sisters: An Intersectoral Material Design Framework for Soil Health

“Soil Sisters” aims to investigate a new paradigm for connecting agricultural waste to large-scale regional material supply chains, in which improving soil nutrition and soil resiliency underpins the design goal of providing cross-sectoral environmental performance through the provision of new biomaterial construction systems.

Anna Dyson
Yale University School of Architecture

Mae-ling Lokko
Yale University School of Architecture

2021 European Research Prize

Somf 2021 european research prize islam gormley proposal 01
Somf 2021 european research prize islam gormley proposal 03
Somf 2021 european research prize islam gormley proposal 05

Constructive Land

“Constructive Land” proposes to examine the future of the British landscape in the context of the climate crisis. Our fertile landscape is constrained by pressures from farming, woodland, and housing, all of which need reimagining as we move into a postcarbon future. The research looks at the potential of agroforestry to develop arable farming alongside productive woodland and explores what materials and building systems can be drawn from a new model of regenerative land management.

Paloma Gormley
University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins Spatial Practices Program

Summer Islam
University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins Spatial Practices Program

2021 China Fellowship

Somf 2021 china fellowship chang guo portfolio 03
Somf 2021 china fellowship chang guo portfolio 02

Examining Social Justice Beneath the Surface: Taking European Public Swimming Pools as a Clue

Chang Guo’s proposal will explore the role of community swimming pools in contributing to social justice through visiting and researching sites in France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

Chang Guo
Southeast University School of Architecture

Somf 2021 china fellowship han tu portfolio 01
Somf 2021 china fellowship han tu portfolio 02

Emotional Justice: Emotional Design of Urban Public Space

Han Tu’s research will explore the emotional design and justice of urban public spaces in Thailand, India, and Singapore.

Han Tu
Tsinghua University, Beijing School of Architecture

Somf 2021 china fellowship yunhan zhu portfolio 02
Somf 2021 china fellowship yunhan zhu portfolio 03

Spatial Reproduction in Industrial Areas: Study on Chinese Workers’ Spatial Production in Europe

“Spatial Reproduction in Industrial Areas” proposes to study the impact of Chinese workers in Europe and whether the new production of space can achieve a certain degree of social integration while balancing the interests of both local and immigrant communities.

Yunhan Zhu
Shandong Jianzhu University School of Architecture and Urban Planning

2021 Robert L. Wesley Award

Somf 2021 robert l wesley award kevin chow 01

Kevin Chow

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art School of Architecture

Somf 2021 robert l wesley award viridiana hernandez sevilla portfolio 02
Somf 2021 robert l wesley award viridiana hernandez sevilla portfolio 03

Viridiana Hernandez Sevilla

University of Oklahoma College of Architecture

Somf 2021 robert l wesley award alexander htet aung kyaw 01
Somf 2021 robert l wesley award alexander htet aung kyaw 02

Alexander Htet Aung Kyaw

Cornell University Department of Architecture

Somf 2021 robert l wesley award sanjana lahiri portfolio 02
Somf 2021 robert l wesley award sanjana lahiri portfolio 03

Sanjana Lahiri

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art School of Architecture

Somf 2021 robert l wesley award xiluva mbungela portfolio 01
Somf 2021 robert l wesley award xiluva mbungela portfolio 02

Xiluva Mbungela

Syracuse University School of Architecture

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