2017 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medals are recently been given to Yvonne Farrell and Shelly McNamara. As Grafton Architects directors, they share the awards' same ideology hence they were recognized for it.
According to Monticello official website, the University of Virginia and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello chose Farrell, McNamara and three more individuals this year. They won the medals as part of the three categories: Architecture Medal Recipients, Law Medal Recipients, and Citizen Leadership Medal Recipients.
The Thomas Jefferson Medal Awardees is in the first category where it upholds the advocacy for culture and education in the field of architecture. The Grafton Architects Directors are selected because of their award-winning contribution in the field.
"Their investment in re-imagining a contemporary version of Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village has been exemplified in projects such as the University of Technology and Engineering campus in Lima, Peru and the Universita Luigi Bocconi," University of Virginia School of Architecture Dean Ila Berman said. "Each outstanding examples of the capacity of architecture to contribute to the making of public space in service to society as a whole," he continued.
The statement above gives light to what made the Thomas Jefferson Medal juries select Yvonne Farrell and Shelly McNamara. The two's brilliant works don't end with what are above. As of the moment, they are currently doing a design work for Paul Marshall Institute for the London School of Economics, Town House Building at Kingston University London, and more.
In another report by Archdaily, it listed the further awards Farrell and McNamara will soon receive other than the Thomas Jefferson Medals. Starting with Artistic Directors of the 2018 Venice Biennale until RIBA International Prize, the Grafton Architects amazing directors continues to conquer the architecture field.
To end, the Thomas Jefferson Medal recipients will be awarded on the same day of Jefferson's 274th birthday. Along with the others, they will be presented to the public on April 13 while they lead-free lectures for the attendees.
