Announcing 2018 Seaside Prize Recipients

The Pioneer Architects of Seaside

The Seaside Institute is proud to announce the 2018 recipients of the Seaside Prize – the Pioneer Architects of Seaside: Ernesto Buch, Walter Chatham, Robert Orr, Alexander Gorlin, and Deborah Berke. Each has made significant contributions to the beginning of Seaside, established a lasting impact on the fabric of our town, and earned widespread distinction in their careers. Daryl

Davis, co-founder of Seaside says, “Our community is more rich, vibrant and beautiful, because of the Pioneer Architects. Their incredible work and collaborative spirit created the exemplar for creative design and place making that makes Seaside so special for so many.”

Ernesto Buch’s interest in architecture dates back to his childhood. Born in Cuba and growing up in Miami, he was inspired by his physical environment and developed a passion for classical and traditional architecture and urbanism. Ernesto has been fortunate to work with great people and talents. From working with Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk on the master plan and code for Seaside to learning the language of classicism from Allan Greenberg, he had the opportunity to work on projects from the Tupelo Street pavilion

to private residences to the Richardson Library, for which he was presented the Arthur Ross Award

in Architecture.

Buch and his firm are known for creating buildings that integrate with the surroundings and are respectful of historical context. Buch earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Case Western Reserve University, a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami, and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University. His Seaside work — along with two cottages and a civic structure — includes the Tupelo Street beach pavilion and an early Florida Cracker Cottage, Sip & Dip on Tupelo Street.

Walter Chatham is a six-time winner of the Distinguished Architecture Award from the American Institute of Architects, a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a board member of the Architectural League of New York. Chatham has a long association with Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and their firm, DPZ, having collaborated on numerous charrettes that champion both modern architecture and traditional urban planning. He and his firm were early leaders in the environmental design movement. They seek to design all projects to LEED standards, completing multiple projects with state-of-the-art energy management and conservation strategies. Walter is active in building rehabilitation, with multiple projects in Soho, Providence, and Miami. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Maryland, completed post-graduate studies at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Chatham’s Seaside work — along with three Ruskin Place live/work units and two cottages — includes Chatham House on East Ruskin Street.

Distinguished Architecture Award winner; and is a three-time award winner of the New England Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Orr and his firm are renowned for their provocative and engaging projects that fit seamlessly into their neighborhoods. Their projects relate to historical context at all scales and, whether rustic or refined, look as though they have always been there. Their work includes civic, commercial, institutional, community and residential development; New Urbanist town planning; and custom residential projects. Orr graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and earned his Master of Architecture from Yale University. His Seaside work — along with 10 early cottages — includes Natchez House on Natchez Street.

Alexander Gorlin won the Rome Prize in Architecture from the American Academy in Rome; is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects; and was named one of this century’s Top 100 architects by Architectural Digest. He is author of “Tomorrow’s Houses: New England Modernism,” two definitive volumes on The New American Townhouse, and Kabbalah in Art and Architecture. Alexander

applies modernist principles to projects ranging from residential work to schools to affordable housing. He is noted for his inventive use of space, light, and natural materials. Gorlin is a graduate of the Cooper Union School of Architecture and an Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture. His Seaside work — along with four other Ruskin Place live/work units and a beachside cottage — includes Stairway to Heaven in Ruskin Place.

Deborah Berke is the dean of the Yale School of Architecture, where she has been a professor since 1987. She has taught at the University of Maryland, the Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Miami, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies. Berke won the first Berkeley-Rupp award, given by the University of California at Berkeley. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a Trustee and Vice President of the Urban Design Forum, a James Howell Foundation Board Member, and serves on the Yaddo Board of Directors. Berke and her firm transform places, old and new, to create memorable and lasting architecture. They are recognized for their pursuit of authenticity, love for the visual arts, and intellectual rigor that pervades all they do. Berke is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture and earned a Masters of Urban Planning from The City University of New York. Her Seaside work — along with 13 iconic cottages — includes one of the first cottages, Forever Mary on Tupelo Street and Modica Market.

The Seaside Institute awards the Seaside Prize each year to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to the quality and character of our communities. The recipients of the Prize influence how our towns and cities promote walkability, diversity, beauty and sustainability. Seaside Prize fellows are leaders of urban design, planning, architecture, development and education.

Please join us to recognize the 2018 recipients of the Seaside Prize – the Pioneer Architects of Seaside during the Seaside Prize weekend Feb. 22-25, 2018.

“The Seaside Prize weekend will be a wonderful reunion of people who were part of Seaside’s infancy. We look forward to a celebration of Ernesto, Walter, Robert, Alexander and Deborah’s pioneering work in Seaside as well as their distinguished careers on a larger stage,” says Seaside co-founder Robert Davis.