Sandra Barclay named 'Architect of the Year'

The announcement was made at the Women in Architecture lunch held today at Claridge's London, where Amanda Levete accepted her 2018 Jane Drew Prize and Madelon Vriesendorp her 2018 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize.

Sandra Barclay of Barclay & Crousse was selected for her work on Peru’s Museo de Sitio de Paracas, a replacement of a museum largetly destroyed in a 2007 earthquake. The new museum blends into the site's desert landscape while preserving part of the original museum.

The jury said of the winning project: "Aware of the lack of control onsite and limited resources, the architects responded to the lack of context with a design that is both robust and simple, yet powerful, and even its man-made imperfection adds value to the building."

Per AJ and AR, the Architect of the Year Award "recognizes excellence in design with an emphasis on a recently completed project. Candidates must be qualified architects in their country of study. They may be running their own practice, in a small design-led practice or a large commercial firm, in partnership or a director."

Barclay co-founded Barclay & Crousse in 1994 in Paris with Jean Pierre Crousse. Since 2006, the firm has been based in Lima, Peru, with a branch office in Paris. 

Architects shortlisted for the Architect of the Year Award also included Biba Dow, Dow Jones Architects (United Kingdom); Ángela García de Paredes, Paredes Pedrosa (Spain); and Stephanie Macdonald, 6a Architects (United Kingdom).

Gloria Cabral, partner at Paraguay's Gabinete de Arquitectura, was given the Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture for "projects [that] aim to find more efficient ways to transform the environment with the tools available."

The jury said: "Beyond her deep understanding of materials and construction, Cabral showed a sensitive appreciation of the life and use of the buildings she designs. Her commitment is extraordinary and her passion is infectious."

Architects shortlisted for the Moira Gemmill Prize, named for the late director of design at the V&A, also included Ilze Wolff, Wolff Architects (South Africa); Anna Puigjaner and Maria Charneco, MAIO (Spain); and Sook Hee Chun, WISE Architecture (South Korea).

The jury, chaired by AR deputy editor Manon Mollard and AJ acting editor Emily Booth, consisted of:

• Albert Williamson-Taylor, AKT II
• Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times
• Eva Jiřičná, Eva Jiřičná Architects
• Victoria Thornton, Open House and Open-City
• Karen Livingstone, Science Museum Group
• Cindy Walters & Michál Cohen, Walters & Cohen
• Tracy Meller, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners