Sheila Kennedy — a principal of KVA MATx and the first woman to hold the title of Professor of the Practice of Architecture at MIT’s School of Architecture & Planning — was announced today as the 2014 recipient of the Berkeley-Rupp Prize.

Awarded every two years by the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (CED), the $100,000 Berkeley-Rupp Prize is given to a distinguished design practitioner or academic who has made significant contribution to advance gender equity in the field of architecture, and whose work exhibits commitment to sustainability and community. The prize consists of a semester-long professorship, a public lecture, and a gallery exhibition at the CED. Deborah Berke of Deborah Berke Partners received the inaugural Berkeley-Rupp Prize in 2012.

Kennedy is scheduled to begin her residence in January 2015. On February 4, she will give a public lecture on soft infrastructure followed by an open studio exhibition showcasing her work in progress at Wurster Hall on the UC Berkeley campus from April 8-May 15.

More details about Kennedy's work below:

"As part of her research, Kennedy will partner with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to engage communities of fabricators in three developing regions around the world. She will lead UC Berkeley students in computation, architectural design, engineering, and city planning in a series of hands-on design workshops exploring new urban infrastructure.

Using soft materials—from paper to wood to bio-plastic—the group will develop open-source digital fabrication techniques and create adaptable prototypes such as pop-up solar streetlights, soft refridgeration kits for bicycle vendors, and public benches that collect and clean fresh water. These prototypes will be exhibited at UC Berkeley and fabrication kits will be shared with NGOs and the public online."

"Kennedy’s award winning projects in Brazil, France, Germany, China, and the United States include notable building commissions with leading research universities; the East River Public Ferry Terminal in Manhattan; the Soft House work/live residences in Hamburg, Germany; Boston’s Chrysanthemum Building, a low-carbon model for urban housing; the Minneapolis RiverFirst Initiative; and the Portable Light Project, a global initiative for portable clean energy and lighting."

Click the thumbnails in the gallery below to see more of Kennedy's work.