The Bybee Prize

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien
2022 Bybee Prize Recipients

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien founded their New York City based firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners in 1986. Their practice is committed to reflecting the values of non-profit, cultural, and academic institutions toward an architecture of enduring vision. A sense of place defined by light, texture, detail, and most of all, experience, is at the heart of their designs.

Some of their notable projects include the Asia Society Hong Kong, Lefrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park, Brooklyn and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Their current work includes the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the renovation of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, New York City and the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, Chicago.

Over the past three decades, their dedication to this work has been recognized by numerous national and international citations including the National Medal of the Arts from President Obama, the 2013 Firm of the Year Award from the American Institute of Architects, and the 2019 Praemium Imperiale presented by the Japan Art Association.

In parallel to their practice, Tod and Billie teach at Yale University as the Charles Gwathmey Professors in Practice, and are devoted participants in the broader cultural community. Tod is a trustee of the Cranbrook Educational Community and the American Academy in Rome. In 2021 Billie was appointed by President Biden to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, serving as the first Asian-American and woman to be Chair.

As educators and practitioners they are deeply committed to creating a better world through architecture

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About the James Daniel Bybee Prize

Since 2001, in honor of the late James Daniel Bybee – a former president of the Building Stone Institute and then president of Bybee Stone Company – this award is presented by the Natural Stone Institute to an individual architect or landscape architect for a body of work executed over time and distinguished by outstanding design and use of natural stone. Past recipients include: Malcolm Holzman, FAIA; M. Paul Friedberg, FASLA; Cesar Pelli, FAIA; Lawrence Halprin, FASLA; Henry N. Cobb, FAIA; Laurie D. Olin, RLA, FASLA; Robert Frasca, FAIA; Peter Walker, FASLA; and Robert A.M. Stern, FAIA.

 

Past Bybee Prize Recipients: