Thom Mayne

It seems like Thom Mayne is really starting to get famous. Although, in 2005, he became the first American to get the prestigious Pritzker Prize since 1991, he still hasn't become as well known outside architecture as names like Gehry, Meier, or even Calatrava.

One reason that his might be that his architecture, which really acheives some important qualities, isn't as eye-catching. Maybe that means it is less superficial, or maybe it means it is altogether less about visual aesthetics. This recent review of his Federal Building in San Francisco proves that good writing can overcome a less photogenic building. It sounds beautiful in a way that a camera might simply be unable to capture. And part of the challenge is does it all while acheiving LEED Silver and creating a better workspace.

His firm, Morphosis, teamed up with Hargreaves Associates to enter the Rutgers' College Avenue Campus Vision/Design competition. Their vision offered to change the spine of campus and the spaces spinning off of that.

You can get a nice overview of his work at Slate.com.