Shelley McNamara studied architecture at University College Dublin and co-founded Grafton Architects with Yvonne Farrell in 1977. She teaches architecture at UCD and is a visiting critic at a number of schools of architecture. She was elected a fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for excellence in design. For this lecture, she will present recent works by Grafton Architects – including projects in Milan, Toulouse and Lima. Exploring the aesthetic, structural and environmental potential of brick and concrete, Grafton's work reveals a particular interest in how daylight can shape built forms and highlights the contrast between heavy and lightweight components. Grafton Architects were awarded the Mies van der Rohe Prize in 2009 for their new building for Luigi Bocconi University in Milan, as well as the Silver Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2012.
Image: Luigi Bocconi University, Milan; Grafton Architects