Bio:

The great Architect, Toshiko Mori, FAIA is the founding principal of Toshiko Mori Architect PLLC, and the Robert P. Hubbard Professor in the Practice of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD), where she served as chair of the Department of Architecture from 2002 to 2008. She was inducted to the Academy of Arts and Letters in 2020 and has been a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2016. Mori’s recent awards and honors include the Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society Gold Medal in 2016 and Architectural Record’s Women.

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How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

As a teenager my family made an expansion to our house without hiring a design professional.
It didn’t feel right, to me every decision was so wrong. Adjacencies, blocking natural light-views...I decided to understand the why and solve the problem.

 

What do you do?

I have worked in a variety of design sectors including hospitality, high-end residential, science and tech, fashion retail, and higher education. Currently, I am developing-designing a sustain- able furniture collection through an upcycling initiative.

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What excites you in the work you do?

As a core, when design has profound impact, prioritize human needs and put people first it satisfies my values and consciousness. The trans- formation from nothing to something excites me.

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Who or what inspires you professionally?

History, culture, experience and emotions are the main elements that inspires me to think, design and transform a space / product. I am seduced by The Campana Brothers approach. They instill human dignity by encouraging to search your own identity.

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What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

The creation of a Design Internship Program for design students at Undergraduate level in San Juan, P.R. in 2010. The opportunity to give back to the new generation, become a vehicle for development and change was a very rewarding experi- ence for me.

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Featured Project Name: 

Thread Artists’ Residences & Cultural Center

 

Featured Project Location: 

Sinthian, Senegal

 

Featured Project Completion Date: 

2015

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Role in Featured Project: 

Principal in Charge, Architect

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Featured Project Description:

Situated in the remote community of Sinthian, Senegal, near the fragile border of Mali, this project offers multiple programs for the community, including gathering space, performance center, and residency for visiting artists. A collaboration with the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and American Friends of Le Korsa, the cultural facility is intended to complement the existing clinics, kindergarten, and farming school on site. It is also meant to ensure stability and provide a common ground within a community consisting of twelve different tribes. The shared music, art, and performance programs are a testament to the resiliency of the region.

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Photography Credit:

Iwan Baan & Ralph Gibson