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Laureates receive a 6-month or 5-week travel fellowship to France to conduct cutting-edge research in historic preservation.

WASHINGTON –  The Architects Foundation, the Amis du Richard Morris Hunt Prize and the French Heritage Society today announced the 2021 recipients of the Richard Morris Hunt Prize, a travel fellowship to France for architects pursuing cutting-edge research on emerging trends in historic preservation.

Jonathan Bell, AIA, of Providence, R.I. will receive a $20,000 travel fellowship to carry out research over six months on resources for stabilizing abandoned buildings which are still outside of traditional heritage protections.

Gregoire Holeyman, AIA, of Washington, DC will receive a $5,000 award to research historic structures in France that have been successfully preserved and converted into museums.

The winners were selected from a group of four finalists, whose topics were vetted by a group of former American laureates.

“The jury had a very difficult decision to make, as all of the proposed topics were well-conceived, timely, and relevant,” said James Walbridge, AIA, Architects Foundation President and co-chair of the jury.

The Richard Morris Hunt Prize (RMHP) has been fostering and supporting cross-cultural professional exchange between France and the United States since 1990. U.S. design professionals study in France, and French design professionals study in the U.S. during alternating years.

Due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, travel is deferred until restrictions have been lifted. The 2020 laureates, who will travel to the United States from France, are also waiting to travel.

Complete details on the Richard Morris Hunt Prize program are available on the Architects Foundation website. Learn more about how to support this important work in sustainability and preservation here.

About the Architects Foundation

As the philanthropic partner of The American Institute of Architects, the Architects Foundation attracts, inspires, and invests in a next-generation design community through scholarships and exhibitions. The Architects Foundation owns the historic Octagon building in the nation’s capital, activating the space to demonstrate the value architects and architecture bring to culture.

About the Amis du Richard Morris Hunt Prize

In 2016, Michèle le Menestrel Ullrich, founder of the Richard Morris Hunt Prize, founded the Amis du Richard Morris Hunt Prize, a French nonprofit organization. The association was created to provide support to the laureates, organize events and increase awareness of the RMHP.

About the French Heritage Society

French Heritage Society is an American nonprofit organization with ten chapters in the U.S. and one in France. Its central mission is to ensure that the treasures of our shared French architectural and cultural heritage survive in order to inspire future generations. Over the past 38 years, FHS has given more than 600 restoration grants to properties throughout France and in the U.S. and selected and supported over 500 students from prestigious universities who have crossed the Atlantic for internships at esteemed institutions.

About AIA

Founded in 1857, AIA consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through more than 200 international, state and local chapters, AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing.

AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards.