Sarah Wigglesworth

Sarah Wigglesworth MBE RDI is a British award-winning architect and Professor of Architecture at Sheffield University.

Together with her partner, Jeremy Till, Wigglesworth was (in 1991) the first architect to be awarded the Fulbright Arts Fellowship.[1] In 1998 the Sunday Times named her as one of three architects in their "Hot 100" poll.[1] She was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2004.[2]

Career

Wigglesworth founded Sarah Wigglesworth Architects (SWA) in 1994.[3] Her practice developed a reputation for ecological buildings and a particular fascination for the use of alternative materials, including straw, in architecture.[2] One of the practice's best known buildings is the Straw Bale House (and Quilted Office) in Islington, London, which features widely in architectural periodicals.[4] The building was designed as a house and office for Wigglesworth and Till, using straw bales, cement-filled sandbags, silicon-faced fibreglass cloth and gabions filled with recycled concrete. "This doesn't look like a traditional green building," said Wigglesworth. 'We want to bring green architecture into the mainstream by making it more urban and urbane."[5]

She has been Professor of Architecture at Sheffield University since 1999[6] and founded the PhD by Design in 2002.[7] Her academic work often blends with her 'live' projects and she describes her research focus as "revealing the workings of practice".[7]

Wigglesworth has been Chair of the Judging Panel for a number of years, for the Jane Drew Prize, which celebrates inclusiveness and diversity in architecture.[6] In 2012 she was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry,[8] the first ever woman to be awarded this prestigious title for architecture.[9]

Notable works

TV appearances

Personal life

Wigglesworth grew up in north London, attending Camden School for Girls.[2] from 1968 to 1976. She studied architecture at the University of Cambridge from 1976 to 1983, graduating with distinction.[6]

Her long-term partner Jeremy Till[2] is Head of Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design and Pro Vice-Chancellor of University of the Arts London, and was previously the Dean of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster.

Despite being a strong advocate for collaborating with the media to promote architecture, Wigglesworth claims not to own a TV or watch television, saying "Ninety-nine percent of what's on television is an absolute disgrace".[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Sarah Wigglesworth (profile), The Guardian, 25 June 2001. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 George Hay Deconstructing sarah, Building Magazine, Issue 08, 2004 (online version retrieved 2012-03-15).
  3. 1 2 Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Britain's Best Architects website. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  4. 1 2 Olga Popovic Larsen, Andy Tyas, "Conceptual structural design: bridging the gap between architects and engineers", Thomas Telford Publishing (2003), pp. 77-84. ISBN 0-7277-3235-8
  5. ↑ Dominic Lutyens Clutching at straws, The Observer, 13 January 2002. Online version retrieved 2012-03-15.
  6. 1 2 3 Maggie Toy (Ed.), Women in Contemporary Architecture, Wiley-Academy (2001), pp. 174-179. ISBN 0-471-49544-1.
  7. 1 2 3 Clare Melhuish, Architecture Paper #1, July 2011 (published as part of Architecture/Design/Fashion Papers, Series 1 by the British Council)
  8. ↑ Royal Designers for 2012, RSA Action and Research Centre.
  9. ↑ "Wigglesworth becomes Royal Designer for Industry". Architects Journal.
  10. 1 2 Jonathan Glancey RIBA awards offer a bird's eye view of British architecture, The Guardian, 19 May 2011. Online article retrieved 2012-03-15.

External links

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