Mónica Rivera

Mónica Rivera is the JoAnne Stolaroff Cotsen Professor of Architecture and Chair of Graduate Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. She co-founded Emiliano López Mónica Rivera Arquitectos in Barcelona, recognized for material-driven designs engaging cultural and environmental contexts. Her work spans residential, public, and urban projects emphasizing sustainability, energy efficiency, and local materials like cork and cross-laminated timber.

Educated at Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, BArch) and Harvard University (MArch, Distinction), Rivera’s research explores privacy in collective housing, supported by WashU’s Global Incubator Seed Grant. Her projects, such as the Two Cork Houses and Hotel Aire de Bardenas, have won international awards including the FAD Award and Venice Biennale recognition. Current projects include a nearly zero-energy public housing building in Mallorca and a passive house in Gernika.

• Awards: FAD Award, AR Emerging Architecture Award, Venice Biennale selection.
• Research: Focus on bioclimatic strategies, material innovation, and low-impact construction.

Her collaborative work with Eric Mumford on Edges of Privacy bridges academia and practice, while her firm’s installations, like the Domestic Thresholds exhibition, highlight interdisciplinary creativity.