MSc.Michael Smith-Masis, (CRC)
The architecture of Michael Smith Masis in San Jose, Costa Rica, encourages participation, collaboration, cooperation, and ownership by low income residents, rural and indigenous communities, and informal settlements, the true protagonists in the city. Smith has facilitated projects from housing to public space, guided by principles of replicability, efficiency, functionality, feasibility, and environmental sustainability. His work has received significant awards and honors, including the 2022 Civic and Educational Architectures award at the First Central American Architecture Biennial in Guatemala City, the 2017 CICA Award for Young Architects Practice and the 2015 International Architecture Award at the Buenos Aires Biennial of Architecture. He also won the 2016 Grand Biennial Prize and the 2016 and 2014 Icomadera Prize at the International Biennial of Architecture in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the 2015 Sustainable Construction Award from the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction, among others. In 2007 won the Archiprix International (2007) for World’s best graduation project in Shanghai, China. Alongside his architectural practice, Smith has taught and lectured worldwide in institutions like Harvard University (USA), Architectural Association (UK), Tecnológico de Monterrey (MEX), Universidad de los Andes (COL), Universidad of Buenos Aires (ARG), University of Costa Rica (CRI), Universidad Veritas (CRI), among others, to build capacity for transformation processes within distressed communities. He has been curator and invited jury for several international biennales such as Guatemala, Bolivia, Santa Cruz and BIAU.  Obtained architect degree (honors) from Veritas University School of Architecture (2005) San Jose, Costa Rica, holds a Master on Sustainable Environmental Design (commendable) from the Architectural Association  School of Architecture London, UK (2008) and was awarded with the Harvard Loeb Fellowship (2019) on Advance Environmental studies Cambridge, U.S.A. In 2020 he founded Spatial Justice (www.justiciaespacial.com) Latin-American research platform whom recently won the Ibero-American Design Biennial in Madrid (2022) and was selected among best academic projects at the XII Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (2022) in Mexico City. Locally Smith promotes and runs in collaboration timber entrepreneurships that fosters design and construction with best sustainable design practices. In 18 years of professional practice, he has obtained more than 35 relevant awards, 70 publications, 300 conferences and visited more than 25 countries to share his work. He was recently shortlisted by  Forbes magazine as one of 24 creative personalities in the central American region.

Contacto: mike.smith@entrenosateliercentral.com