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
- Clearwater Garden, Chelsea Flower Show (2000)[4]
- Straw Bale House and office, London (2001) - RIBA Award and RIBA Sustainability Prize [7]
- Classroom of the Future, Sheffield (2005) - RIBA Award[3]
- Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, London (2006) - RIBA Award[10]
- Sandal Magna Community Primary School, Wakefield (2010) - RIBA Award[10]
TV appearances
- Grand Designs, Series 1, Episode 7 on Channel 4 (1999)
- The Castleford Project (TV series) on Channel 4 (2004)[2]
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sarah Wigglesworth (profile), The Guardian, 25 June 2001. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 George Hay Deconstructing sarah, Building Magazine, Issue 08, 2004 (online version retrieved 2012-03-15).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, Britain's Best Architects website. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 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
- ↑ Dominic Lutyens Clutching at straws, The Observer, 13 January 2002. Online version retrieved 2012-03-15.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Maggie Toy (Ed.), Women in Contemporary Architecture, Wiley-Academy (2001), pp. 174-179. ISBN 0-471-49544-1.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Clare Melhuish, Architecture Paper #1, July 2011 (published as part of Architecture/Design/Fashion Papers, Series 1 by the British Council)
- ↑ Royal Designers for 2012, RSA Action and Research Centre.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jonathan Glancey RIBA awards offer a bird's eye view of British architecture, The Guardian, 19 May 2011. Online article retrieved 2012-03-15.
