Taubman College Assistant Professor Xavi L. Aguirre has been recognized with a 2022 Architectural League Prize from the Architectural League of New York. The annual prize is considered one of North America’s most prestigious awards for young architects and designers.
Aguirre is an architectural designer and director of stock-a-studio. Interested in the circulation of materials and commodities, their research focuses on the way our built environment is affected by the politics of aesthetics, logistics, and media. Their work conceives of architecture as a temporary assembly of materials in service of the everyday event. In addition to being an assistant professor of architecture at Taubman College, Aquirre was the 2017-18 William Muschenheim Fellow. They hold a BA from Northeastern University in Political Science and a Master of Architecture from California State Polytechnic Pomona. Their research and design work has been exhibited at Storefront for Art and Architecture, Materials & Applications, Milan Architecture Week, A+D Museum, Berlin Art Week, and Oya in Oslo. It has been published in E-flux, Pin-Up Magazine, POOL, and Art Papers.
The theme for the 2022 Architectural League competition was “Grounding.” According to the Architectural League, the theme “reflects on the substance of design’s foundations. How do young architects tether their work and practices to the grounds upon which they design? How can designers respond to both the particularities of location and the ubiquity of global forces? What are intentional approaches to and forms of grounding?”
Winners will present their work in an online lecture series and exhibition this June. Each lecture will feature presentations from two winners, followed by a live discussion, and Q&A. Winners will create installations of their work to be presented in an online exhibition on archleague.org. Aguirre’s lecture will be on June 29. Learn more about this year’s winners and register to attend the lecture series at archleague.org/LP22. Learn more about Aguirre and stock-a-studio at archleague.org/stock-a-studio.
Aguirre joins a long list of current and former Taubman College faculty who have won the Architectural League Prize since its inception in 1981, including Cyrus Peñarroyo (2019), Anya Sirota (2018), El Hadi Jazairy (2017), Thomas Moran and Clark Thenhaus (2015), Adam Fure (2014), Andrew Holder (2014), Wesley McGee (2013), Catie Newell (2011), Geoff Thun and Kathy Velikov (2008), Craig Borum and Karl Daubmann (2006), Keith Mitnick and Mireille Roddier (2004), Steven Mankouche (2003), and Monica Ponce de Leon (1997).
View the list and see current faculty work.
