Weiss/Manfredi facts for kids

Weiss/Manfredi is a design company based in New York City. They are known for combining different areas of design. This includes landscape design, building design (architecture), city planning (infrastructure), and art. Their famous projects include the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center. They also designed the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech.

How Weiss/Manfredi Started

Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi met in the late 1980s. They were both working at a design firm called Mitchel Giurgola Architects. Later, they both became professors teaching architecture.

In 1989, they decided to enter a design contest together. The contest was for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. This memorial is located at Arlington National Cemetery. They won the competition and then started their own company, Weiss/Manfredi.

About Marion Weiss

Before starting the firm, Marion Weiss studied at Yale University. She earned her Master of Architecture degree there. She also got her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia. While at Yale, she won important awards for her studies. In 2017, she was recognized as a top design leader.

About Michael Manfredi

Michael Manfredi earned his Master of Architecture degree at Cornell University. He also won several awards for his work. Both Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi are highly respected in their field. They are members of the National Academy and fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

Awards and Recognition

Weiss/Manfredi has received many important awards for their designs. These include an Academy Award for Architecture. They also won the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture Design. These awards show how much their work is valued.

Amazing Projects by Weiss/Manfredi

Weiss/Manfredi has designed many interesting buildings and spaces. Their work often blends nature with modern structures.

Museum of the Earth

The company designed the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York. This project was finished in 2003. It won an award for excellent design in 2004.

Olympic Sculpture Park

They also designed the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park. They won an international contest to create this park. The park was completed in 2007. It won many awards, including the "Nature" category at the World Architecture Festival. It was also the first project in North America to win a special urban design prize from Harvard University.

The Diana Center

Weiss/Manfredi designed The Diana Center at Barnard College. This building is used for many different arts activities. It won a national design competition. After it was finished in 2010, it won the New York State AIA Best Building Award.

Other Important Designs

In 2012, Weiss/Manfredi won a contest to redesign the Washington Monument Grounds. They also designed the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center. Other projects include the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania. They also designed the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech. In 2015, they were asked to design the United States Embassy in New Delhi.

Where Their Work Has Been Shown

The designs by Weiss/Manfredi have been shown all over the world. Their work was part of the "Groundswell" show at The Museum of Modern Art. It has also been displayed at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and the National Building Museum. Their designs have been featured in many universities and art galleries.

Other Things They Do

Marion Weiss is a professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. She has also taught design classes at Harvard, Cornell, and Yale Universities. Michael Manfredi teaches design at Harvard University. He is also a founding board member of the Van Alen Institute. He has taught at Yale, Cornell, and Princeton Universities.