The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 2021 RIBA Honorary Fellowships.
RIBA Honorary Fellowships are awarded every year to people who have made a significant contribution to architecture but are not architects. This includes people who have helped improve the quality of design and influence the delivery of the built environment in a more sustainable way, those involved in its promotion and management, and those who nurture the interests of future generations.
We have recognised 12 new Honorary Fellows from varied backgrounds including education, arts, engineering, and business. The lifetime honour allows recipients to use the suffix Hon FRIBA.
Find out who has been named a 2021 RIBA Honorary Fellow below.
Professors Laura Allen and Mark Smout are a teaching and architectural research partnership based at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Their contribution has been impactful and wide ranging, helping to develop and inspire generations of architects around the world.
Rhael ‘LionHeart’ Cape
Rhael ‘LionHeart’ Cape is a spoken word performer and UK architecture’s first poet in residence. Drawing on personal experiences, observations and conversations with architects, his poetry explores memory, mental health and our collective relationship with the built environment.
Marc Dubois
Marc Dubois is an eminent critic and lecturer on architecture in Belgium. Having written for leading architectural journals in Europe, his critical reflections have promoted the unique values of contemporary Flemish architecture and helped to re-position the country’s architecture.
Theaster Gates is an American artist and social innovator whose work includes sculpture, ceramics, performance and urban preservation. Drawing on his training in urban planning, he created the Rebuild Foundation, a non profit platform for art, cultural development and neighbourhood transformation in his hometown Chicago.
Sandra Halliday
An early pioneer of sustainable architecture, engineer Professor Sandra Halliday has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and understanding of green construction methods. Running a research and consultancy practice, she has authored guidance around passive design, building physics and sustainability.
Fiona Jarvis
Fiona Jarvis is founder and CEO of Blue Badge Style, a website and app designed to provide information for people with mobility issues. She is a powerful advocate for the relationship between good design, accessibility and the built environment.
Kenneth Kinsella
Director of Capital Projects at the London School of Economics (LSE), Kenneth Kinsella is an exemplar client and champion of good architecture. His legacy is demonstrated through the procurement, construction and promotion of world class buildings in the regeneration of LSE.
Rowan Moore, architecture critic for The Observer, is one of the UK’s best known writers and critics on architecture. His distinct knowledge and understanding of architecture, combined with his strength as a communicator, make him a uniquely influential figure.
Marvin Rees
As Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees founded a city owned housing company to develop and build homes. He has overseen a major housebuilding programme, increased the percentage of affordable homes and embarked on the largest council house building scheme for over 35 years.
Roni Savage
Engineering geologist, Roni Savage is founder of Jomas Associates, a consultancy specialising in geotechnics and contaminated land. As a black woman working in a male dominated industry, Roni advocates for gender diversity and social mobility through mentoring and campaigning.
Sheela Søgaard
Sheela Søgaard is CEO and partner of global architecture practice Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Overseeing finances and operations, she has developed BIG into one of the world’s major practices. Implementing robust parental policies, she has put an equitable meritocracy at the heart of the company.
