In honor of his lifelong dedication to and outstanding achievements in traditional urbanism and architecture, John Simpson has been selected as the 2026 laureate of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame. He will receive the prize during a ceremony on March 21 at the Murphy Auditorium in Chicago.
A native of the United Kingdom, Simpson first gained prominence in 1990 during the Paternoster Square development competition in London where he advocated for New Traditional Architecture and Urbanism. The Driehaus Prize citation notes that “his inspiring leadership in gathering a distinguished group of his peers to address what was then a major civic challenge was clearly noticed.”
While the project was eventually realized with a different vision, Simpson’s proposal “highlighted an emerging, new and constructive approach to urban regeneration and cemented his influence as one of the earliest proponents of modern classicism,” the citation states.
“Our ancestors built wonderful and enduring cities through a shared tradition,” Simpson said. “When I began my career, there were only a few that held to that path. It is such a joy to see how this has changed over the years with a rising generation of architects committed to restoring the continuity that binds us to our Classical roots and determined to create a beautiful and humane world for future generations to enjoy. This award recognizes the enduring value of tradition, not as nostalgia, but as a foundation for building well and responsibly today.”
Simpson’s work has been extensive and deeply influential, the prize jury wrote. It has unfolded through private, public and institutional commissions, “each executed with a keen eye for a balance between precedent based composition, place-appropriate siting and a focus on durability of construction.”
“While thoughtfully contextual with respect to local character and scale, his work also stands as a testament to the multiple building cultures that make up all traditions and offers solutions to the critical need for variety and uniqueness of place facing the built environment,” the citation continued. “Chief among his projects deserving praise are the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, his many projects at Poundbury for the Duchy of Cornwall, the DMRC Rehabilitation Facility at Stanford Hall, the Royal College of Music in London, the 91ĘÓƵ of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame and his educational projects at Eton, Oxford and Cambridge.”
The jury also recognized Simpson’s long interest in teaching, both informally through his practice and often didactic architecture and through formal teaching positions at the Prince’s Foundation, the University of Buckingham and, most recently, at Cambridge University at the Center for the Study of Classical Architecture. Simpson is also a fellow at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
“John Simpson has long maintained that traditional forms are environmentally sound and contribute to the sense of local identity. His work amply illustrates that the practice of traditional urbanism and architecture does indeed facilitate the bonds of community by encouraging people of all kinds to share a common, living culture of building and to avail themselves of the opportunity to identify with, live and flourish in its distinctive presence,” said , Driehaus Prize jury chair and the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of the 91ĘÓƵ of Architecture.
In conjunction with the Driehaus Prize, the 2026 Henry Hope Reed Award will be given to Philippe Villeneuve, a French architect specializing in historic monument conservation and restoration. Villeneuve was selected for his visionary leadership in the restoration of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris after a 2018 fire.
Villeneuve, who studied architecture at the École d’Architecture de Paris-Conflans, obtained his governmental architectural diploma in 1989 and later a diploma from the École de Chaillot. In 1997, he passed the “Thèse de Concours” to become chief architect for historical monuments in France. He has worked on restoration projects including the Angoulême Cathedral , the chevet and north portal of Limoges Cathedral and the Hôtel de Ville in La Rochelle.
“Villeneuve’s crowning achievement has been in bringing the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris from the brink of collapse to its rightful place as the most significant building in France and one of the most recognizable in the world,” Polyzoides said. “Thanks to Villeneuve, the iconic cathedral — an edifice expressing the spiritual essence, technical prowess and proud identity of the French nation across the centuries — was reconstructed in accordance with its original 12th century form.”
Villeneuve engaged hundreds of architects, engineers, designers and craftspeople from across France and looked to the original sources of materials to rebuild the structure. His expansive team combined traditional and cutting-edge construction techniques in tandem to execute the reconstruction in record time.
The jury cited Villeneuve’s leadership in advocating that Notre-Dame de Paris be rebuilt in its original construction methods and returned to its original form.
“Challenging the preservation protocols in place and the high-tech visions of popular architects, Villeneuve argued instead that historic buildings possess physical integrity, community values and symbolic meaning. He had the courage to take his case to French President Emmanuel Macron to explain his viewpoints, thereby convincing the president despite strong opposition,” the jury citation reads.
This year’s Driehaus Prize and Henry Hope Reed laureates were selected by a jury composed of Ben Bolgar, executive director of the Kings Foundation, London; Melissa DelVecchio, partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, New York; Michael Lykoudis, professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Notre Dame; Demetri Porphyrios, founding principal of Porphyrios Associates, London; and Julia Treese, partner at Treese Architekten, Berlin and Munich. Polyzoides, also a partner at Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists, Pasadena, California, served as jury chair.
The $200,000 Driehaus Prize is the largest cash award given in architecture worldwide. It is granted to architects by the Driehaus Trust, in the name of Richard H. Driehaus, founder and chairman of Chicago-based Driehaus Capital Management LLC, for their excellence in the design of New Traditional Architecture and Urbanism over their entire career. The Henry Hope Reed Award of $50,000 is similarly granted to individuals who have contributed to the design and building culture that cultivates the traditional city, its architecture and art through writing, planning or promotion.
Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu or 574-993-9220