We are thrilled to announce TxA’s 2020 Design Awards jury: Stella Betts, of LEVENBETTS in New York City; Dan Kaplan, FAIA, of FXCollaborative in New York City; Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA, of Olson Kundig in Seattle; and Michel Rojkind of Rojkind Arquitectos in Mexico City. The jurors will come together to review entries to our 2020 Design Awards competition, which has an entry deadline of April 7.
Stella Betts
Stella Betts is a principal at LEVENBETTS, an award-winning New York City-based architecture practice focusing on design at all scales, including urban design, public architecture, houses and housing, commercial workspaces, exhibitions, and furniture. Currently, her firm is working on their fifth public library in New York City, as well as a Life Sciences Building in Manhattan and several single-family homes in upstate New York. Betts received a Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School for Design. She is currently an adjunct professor at Yale University School of Architecture and at Cornell University School of Art Architecture and Planning. Betts has previously taught at Columbia University’s GSAPP, Cooper Union, Parsons, and Syracuse. She serves on the board of directors of the Architectural League of New York.
Dan Kaplan, FAIA
Dan Kaplan, FAIA, is a senior partner at FXCollaborative and serves in a design and leadership capacity for many of the firm’s complex, award-winning urban buildings. Adept at creating large-scale, high-performance buildings and urban designs, he approaches each project — from individual buildings to large-scale urban plans — with the viewpoint that it must contribute to a larger totality. Kaplan plays an instrumental role in a variety of projects spanning the office, residential, mixed-used, and healthcare sectors. He has been recognized both nationally and internationally for his design excellence by numerous organizations and publications, including the American Institute of Architects, Architectural Review, and the Boston Society of Architects.
Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA
A principal and owner of Olson Kundig, Kirsten Murray, FAIA, has created buildings and spaces that strengthen and enrich communities. An instrumental figure in Olson Kundig’s firmwide design culture, Murray’s portfolio spans an array of project types, from private residences to mixed-used buildings, art spaces, historic commercial renovations, and urban design. She is most inspired by projects that blend old and new — projects that draw on a collective intelligence of users and designers as well as community context and the character of surrounding elements. Murray’s contributions to the firm have resulted in honors, including four appearances on Fast Company’s annual World’s Most Innovative Companies list. Her work has been recognized by local, regional, and national AIA Honor Awards and AIA Housing Awards, and has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Architectural Record, and Architecture. Murray is currently working on projects with Gallaudet University, Simon Fraser University, and Nike.
Michel Rojkind
Michel Rojkind was born in Mexico City, where he studied architecture and urban planning at the Universidad Iberoamericana. In 2002, he founded Rojkind Arquitectos, a firm focusing on design, tactical and experiential innovation. While addressing the challenges of contemporary life, his goal is to design compelling architectural and urban planning solutions that go beyond mere functionality and become integral experiences that connect the intricacies of each project at a deeper level and positively impact our society and the environment. He has been a visiting professor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona, the University of Pennsylvania, and Aalto University in Finland. The New York Times named Rojkind as part of “A Generation of Architects Making Its Mark at Dizzying Speed” in 2017. He was also named one of the “300 Most Influential Mexican Leaders” by Mexican Leaders magazine in 2017 and 2018, and one of the “Country’s Treasured Architects” by the Mexican Civil Registry in 2010. Rojkind recently joined The We Company as senior vice president of architecture, leading all WeWork construction projects.