Boston, MA According to the Boston Public Library (BPL), David Manfredi, CEO & founding principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects, is the 2023 recipient of the Druker Award Celebrating Design and Architecture. The Druker Award is presented annually to a leader who has made outstanding and important contributions to the world of design; each award recipient shares insights on the world of architecture and design at a corresponding lecture. This year’s event will take place on November 4, at 2:00 p.m. in Rabb Lecture Hall on the lower level of the Boylston St. Building. The talk is free and open to the public.
Manfredi is known for his diverse portfolio of planning and design projects across the country and in the city, including Boston Landing (which features the New Balance headquarters, the TRACK at new balance, and the Bruins’ Warrior Ice Arena, and the Celtics’ Auerbach Center practice facilities), the Parcel 12 air-rights redevelopment (spanning the Mass Pike at the intersection of Newbury St. and Massachusetts Ave.), the Broad Institute in Kendall Sq., and the research headquarters for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He has received recognition from multiple preservation and design organizations for his leadership in renovating the South End’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross and the Women’s Clinic at St. Anthony Shrine.
“It is an honor to bestow the Druker Award upon David Manfredi, a visionary whose impact on the world of design has been nothing short of transformative,” said BPL president David Leonard. “His passion for creating spaces that inspire, unite, and uplift has not only transformed physical landscapes but also the way we experience and interact with our urban environments.”
Manfredi is deeply committed to the belief that the quality of our environment directly influences the quality of our lives, and effectively advocates for building and protecting vital, sustainable, durable urban places.
In his presentation, he will speak about how the design of commercial buildings, housing, public plazas, and retail spaces can influence and improve the urban environment, especially when they exist at the intersections between different communities or institutions, acting as anchors that connect Boston’s historically parochial neighborhoods.
Manfredi will be in conversation with BPL president David Leonard, followed by an audience Q&A. Druker Company president Ronald Druker will give welcoming remarks.
“David has had an impact on virtually every neighborhood in Boston, designing buildings in ways that connect to and enhance the traditional strengths of our region, while assuring that our urban environments continue to evolve as dynamic centers of connection, innovation, and community in a sustainable way,” said Druker, president and CEO of The Druker Co. “I am proud to call him a collaborator and a good friend; he embodies the spirit of this award and what it is intended to celebrate.”
Manfredi is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and an active member of the Boston Preservation Alliance, Boston Society of Architects, and Urban Land Institute (ULI). He serves on the Boston Civic Design Commission, as chair of the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture Advisory Council, on the Board of Trustees of the Boston Architectural College, the Boston Society of Architects Foundation, and the ULI Boston Advisory Board. David is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with bachelors degrees in both English Literature and Architecture and the University of Chicago, where he received a master of arts.
Manfredi has been recognized by A Better City with the Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Award, by the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA) with the Robert S. Swain, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, by the Boston Preservation Alliance with the President’s Award, and by St. Anthony’s Shrine with the Pope Francis Award.
To register for the Druker Award & Lecture visit:
https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6421f8f51c16ec3600d12dd0
