FAIA, FRAIC, OAA, SIA
Principal, Safdie Architects
Moshe Safdie is an architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author. Embracing a comprehensive and humane design philosophy, Safdie is committed to architecture that supports and enhances a project’s program; that is informed by the geographic, social, and cultural elements that define a place; and that responds to human needs and aspirations.
Over a celebrated 50-year career, Safdie has explored the essential principles of socially responsible design with a distinct visual language. His wide range of completed projects include cultural, educational, and civic institutions; neighborhoods and public parks; housing; mixed-use urban centers and airports; and master plans for existing communities and entirely new cities. Safdie’s projects can be found in North and South America, and throughout Asia and the Middle East.
A citizen of Israel, Canada and the United States, Safdie graduated from McGill University. In 1964 he established his own firm to realize Habitat ’67, an adaptation of his undergraduate thesis and a turning point in modern architecture. Safdie has been the recipient of numerous awards, honorary degrees, and civil honors including the Companion of the Order of Canada, the Gold Medal from both the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the American Institute of Architects, the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian, the Lyyn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award from Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and the Wolf Prize in Architecture- awarded for a career motivated by the social concerns of architecture and formal experimentation.
Keynote Lecture - Nature and Urbanism: Reimagining the Public Realm
