Presenter: Elena Manferdini

Elena Manferdini received his engineering degree at the University of Engineering in Bologna, Italy, and a master of architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a registered architect in Italy and Switzerland and has been engaged in architectural design, installation art, sculpture and education for the past 15 years. She is currently teaching at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and serves as the chairman of the graduate program. She is also a visiting professor at Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Elena Manferdini founded Atelier Manferdini in California and completed projects in the United States, Europe and Asia, including the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art. In 2017, her work, the Alexander Montessori University Miami facade, was awarded the "People's Choice award of excellence" and "Merit Award of excellence." In 2016, Elena Manferdini won the “PAN AWARD”, the best public art project in North America. Her work is part of the permanent collection of SFMoMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and LACMA (Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art). In 2013, she received the COLA Award from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to support the production of original works of art. In 2013, she won the Graham Architecture Award, the 2013 Academy of Innovation Research Award, and was selected as the winner of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Annual Educator President Award. In 2011, she was one of the recipients of annual grants for American artists renowned in the architecture and design category.