{"id":60107,"date":"2025-08-11T21:54:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T21:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/60107\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T21:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T21:54:10","slug":"mauro-marinelli-wins-2025-wheelwright-prize-for-research-on-mountain-architecture-across-the-alps-andes-and-himalayas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/60107\/","title":{"rendered":"Mauro Marinelli Wins 2025 Wheelwright Prize for Research on Mountain Architecture Across the Alps, Andes, and Himalayas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mauro<\/a>Mauro Marinelli. Image \u00a9 Francesca Dusini with Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Design<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032963\/mauro-marinelli-wins-2025-wheelwright-prize-for-research-on-mountain-architecture-across-the-alps-andes-and-himalayas<\/p>\n

Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD)<\/a> has announced<\/a> Maura Marinelli, co-founder of franzosomarinelli, as the winner of the 2025 Wheelwright Prize<\/a>. The annual $100,000 grant supports emerging architects<\/a> in pursuing investigative research that addresses contemporary architectural challenges with a global perspective. Marinelli’s winning proposal, “Topographies of Resistance: Architecture<\/a> and the Survival of Cultures,” explores how architecture<\/a> can sustain and revitalize<\/a> rural<\/a>, mountainous regions that confront climate change<\/a>, infrastructure<\/a> limitations, and cultural erosion. His research aims to develop design strategies that promote autonomy, sustainability<\/a>, and local identity by comparing contexts in the Alps<\/a>, Andes<\/a>, and Himalayas<\/a>. Through fieldwork and analysis, the project seeks to propose architectural approaches that empower communities<\/a> and challenge urban-centric<\/a> perspectives.<\/p>\n

\"MauroPublic space in the small village of Bolciana, Italian Alps. Project by franzosomarinelli. Image \u00a9 Mariano Dallago with Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Design<\/a><\/p>\n

Marinelli co-founded franzosomarinelli in 2017, an architecture practice based in the Alps<\/a> that focuses on contemporary design<\/a> in fragile territories, with a strong emphasis on contextual sensitivity through material<\/a> and spatial research. GSD<\/a> Dean Sarah M. Whiting<\/a> describes his project as fostering “responses that emphasize self-sufficiency, local identity, and approaches tailored to the vulnerabilities of mountainous communities worldwide.” Over the next two years, the prize will support Marinelli’s research and enable travel to the European<\/a> Alps<\/a>, the South American<\/a> Andes<\/a>, and the mountainous regions of China<\/a>. “This support enables me to investigate how architecture can actively engage with the fragile cultural systems of high mountain communities,” Marinelli noted. “I intend to contribute tangible insights to both the cultural vitality of mountain territories and architectural discourse.”<\/p>\n

\"MauroTransformation of an abandoned area into public space in the small village of Castelfondo, Italian Alps. Project by franzosomarinelli. Image \u00a9 Mariano Dallago with Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Design<\/a><\/p>\n

The Wheelwright Prize<\/a> supports design research that crosses disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Recent winning topics have examined subjects such as spatial and social relations in contemporary Africa<\/a>, the environmental and social impacts of sand mining, and emerging paradigms for digital infrastructure. Marinelli was selected from a competitive international pool, with finalists Meriem Chabani, Mohamad Nahleh<\/a>, and Alfredo Thiermann<\/a> recognized for their proposals.<\/p>\n

Related Article Harvard Graduate School of Design Awards Thandi Loewenson Wheelwright Prize 2024<\/a> <\/p>\n

The 2025 jury included Sarah M. Whiting<\/a>, Dean and Josep Llu\u00eds Sert Professor of Architecture<\/a> at the GSD<\/a>; Chris Cornelius, professor and chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of New Mexico<\/a> School of Architecture and Planning; Grace La, professor of architecture and chair of the Department of Architecture at the GSD<\/a>; Jennifer Newsom<\/a>, co-founder of Dream the Combine<\/a> and assistant professor at Cornell University<\/a>‘s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; Tosin Oshinowo<\/a>, principal and founder of Oshin\u00f3w\u00f2 Studio<\/a>; and Noura Al Sayeh<\/a>, head of Architectural Affairs for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.<\/p>\n

\"MauroCommunity celebration in the square of Castelfondo, Italian Alps. Project by franzosomarinelli. Image \u00a9 Francesca Dusini with Courtesy of Harvard Graduate School of Design<\/a><\/p>\n

Architectural awards<\/a> continue to highlight experimental approaches and critical engagement with contemporary challenges. In related news, HouseEurope!<\/a>, a registered non-profit dedicated to the social and ecological transformation of Europe’s built environment, has received the 2025 OBEL Award<\/a>. The European AHI Award has recognized exemplary architectural heritage interventions across the continent<\/a>, underscoring their potential as forward-looking models for 21st-century architecture with measurable social, environmental, and economic benefits. Meanwhile, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) has announced the 19 shortlisted projects for its 2025 cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n