SOM Foundation

SOM Foundation was established in 1979 by the Partners of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) with the goal to advance the design profession's ability to address the key topics of our time by bringing together and supporting groups and individuals, each with the highest design aspirations. The Foundation's grant programming was established in 1981 and currently offers five annual awards across the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. The grants support students and faculty of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and engineering to undertake rigorous interdisciplinary research that can help shape our future.

SOM Foundation
TypeNon-profit organization
Founded1979
Websitewww.somfoundation.com

As of July 2021, the Foundation will have awarded more than $2.7 million to over 250[1] architecture, design and engineering students who have gone on to distinguish themselves in professional and academic careers.

Some notable SOM Foundation Award recipients include Marion Weiss (co-founder of Weiss/Manfredi) (1982),[2] Werner Sobek (1983),[3] Himanshu Parikh (1985),[4] Santiago Calatrava (1988),[5] and Joshua Ramus (1995).[6] and Ole Scheeren (2000).

Awards

The SOM Foundation currently offers five awards:

  • Research Prize,[7]
  • Structural Engineering Fellowship [8]
  • UK Award [9]
  • China Fellowship [10]
  • Robert L. Wesley Award [11]

Research prize

The SOM Foundation Research Prize comprises two $40,000 grants that are designed to cultivate new ideas and meaningful research that address the critical issues of our time. The SOM Foundation Research Prize is intended to support new and ongoing research by faculty and students with the goal of providing conclusive findings about the topic at hand. The SOM Research Prize is an evolution of the former SOM Prize and SOM Travel Fellowship programs.

Structural Engineering Fellowship

The SOM Foundation annually awards the Structural Engineering Fellowship to a promising candidate who has recently earned a Bachelor, Master, or PhD degree with a specialization in structural engineering. The $20,000 Fellowship enables a recent graduate to independently travel and conduct research that contributes to the Foundation's designated topic of study.

UK Award

In 1996, the SOM Foundation established the UK Award, to be awarded annually to students studying Architecture at a UK-accredited school. Having had an office in London since 1986, SOM believes that the SOM Foundation UK award program is an investment in the British educational community for architecture. SOM Foundation collaborates with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on the occasion of the much-anticipated annual event, “The RIBA President’s Medals,” which rewards student excellence in architectural education.

China Fellowship

Awarded annually, the SOM Foundation China Fellowship is a travel fellowship open to students in architecture and urban design. Each of three winners receive $5,000 to pursue original travel research. The prize allows emerging design leaders to broaden their education through travel so that they may gain a deeper understanding of how their work will contribute to the built and natural environments.

Robert L. Wesley Award

Created in 2020, the Robert L. Wesley Award supports BIPOC undergraduate students enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, or structural engineering programs across the US. The award aims to support the academic development of the student. Each year, the Robert L. Wesley Award provides several $10,000 unrestricted awards. The award honors Robert L. Wesley, the first Black partner at SOM.

As part of the Robert L. Wesley Award, the SOM Foundation has established a mentorship program to support the recipients of the annual award. The program is structured around a series of sessions lead by a network of leading practitioners and educators. Mentors include, Paola Aguirre, Germane Barnes, Danei Cesario, Leo Chow, Chris Cornelius, Iker Gil, Roberto Gonzalez, Jia Yi Gu, Joyce Hwang, Ojay Obinani, Quilian Riano, Maria Villalobos Hernandez, Robert L. Wesley, and Amanda Williams.

Topics

Each year, the SOM Foundation defines a topic to cultivate new ideas and meaningful research that address the critical issues of our time. The first topic, “Humanizing High Density,” was introduced in 2018 to complement the newly defined Research Prize, an evolution of the former SOM Prize and Travel Fellowship programs. Today, the topics unite the interdisciplinary work carried out for the Research Prize and the Structural Engineering Fellowship. An international jury of academics and practitioners, chosen for their expertise on the topic, is assembled for each award to select the recipients and contribute to the overall conversation.[12]

Public programming

Throughout its history, the SOM Foundation has organized or sponsored multiple lectures and panel discussions. Notable architects, engineers, artists, and researchers who have lectured as part of SOM Foundation events include Aaron Betsky, Philippe Block, Jennifer Bloomer, James Carpenter, Beatriz Colomina, Janet Echelman, Benjamin Gianni, Douglas Graf, Michael Hays, Catherine Ingraham, Jeffrey Kipnis, Mark Linder, Robert McAnulty, Mark Rakatansky, Robert Segrest, Charles Waldheim, John Whiteman, and Mark Wigley.[13]

Leadership

The SOM Foundation is led by the Executive Director along with the appointed Officers and Directors, who represent all current SOM Partners.[14]

  • Iker Gil – Executive Director
  • Leo Chow – Cochair
  • Scott Duncan – Cochair
  • Laura Ettelman – Treasurer
  • Kent Jackson – Secretary

Jurors

Since 1981, every award has been evaluated by globally acclaimed jurors that include SOM Partners and invited external members, including leading practitioners, eminent academics, renowned thinkers and writers, and representatives of civic and cultural institutions. Some of the past industry professionals who participated in juries for the SOM Foundation awards include: Henry N. Cobb, Jeanne Gang, Justin Garrett Moore, Frank Gehry, Toni L. Griffin, Charles Gwathmey, Hugh Hardy, Thom Mayne, Charles Willard Moore, Marina Otero Verzier, Cesar Pelli, Monica Ponce de Leon, Charles Renfro, Leslie Robertson, Martha Schwartz, Allan Temko, Stanley Tigerman, Billie Tsien, Massimo Vignelli, Amanda Williams, and Tod Williams.[15]

Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism

In 1986, the SOM Foundation purchased and restored the Charnley House (1891–1892) for its offices. The historic building, located on the north side of Chicago's Gold Coast, was designed by Louis Sullivan with assistance from his junior draftsman, Frank Lloyd Wright. The same year, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of SOM's founding, the Foundation announced its intention to create an institute devoted to architectural research. Leon Krier was appointed to a three-year term in August 1986, however, he abruptly resigned in January 1987. A new search was started and John Whiteman, then at Harvard University, was appointed as the director.

During Whiteman's term the Institute brought in a number of established and emerging scholars to pursue projects. Fellows included Ann Bergren, Jennifer Bloomer, Alan Colquhoun, Elizabeth Diller, Mario Gandelsonas, Benjamin Gianni, K. Michael Hays, John Hejduk, Catherine Ingraham, Jeffrey Kipnis, Ben Nicholson, Mark Rakatansky, Saskia Sassen, and Richard Sennett. Fares El Dahdah, Michael Kuenstle, and Hashim Sarkis were interns.

The Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism closed down in July 1994 and the Charnley House was sold in April 1995.[16]

See also

References
  1. "SOM Foundation Fellows List". SOM Foundation.
  2. "Marion Weiss". SOM Foundation.
  3. "Werner Sobek". SOM Foundation.
  4. "Himanshu Parikh". SOM Foundation.
  5. "Santiago Calatrava". SOM Foundation.
  6. "Joshua Ramus". SOM Foundation.
  7. "Research Prize".
  8. "Structural Engineering Fellowship".
  9. "UK Award".
  10. "China Fellowship".
  11. "Robert L. Wesley Award".
  12. "Topics".
  13. "Events".
  14. "Team".
  15. "Juries".
  16. "History".
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