Mexican Architect Tatiana Bilbao to Receive Honorary Doctorate At Boston Architectural College’s 2024 Commencement

The Boston Architectural College (BAC) is delighted to announce that renowned Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao will be this year's commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate. She will deliver the commencement speech on Friday, May 24.

Tatiana Bilbao joins a distinguished lineup of recent Commencement speakers at the College, which includes Polish American architect Daniel Libeskind, architect Billie Tsien, Pritzker Prize winning Indian architect and planner Balkrishna Doshi, architect and planner Moshe Safdie, landscape architect and artist Martha Schwartz, and BAC alum and Cuban-American, Robert (Bob) J. Vila, a home improvement television show host best known for “This Old House.”

“As the BAC continues to honor design visionaries, we are thrilled to recognize acclaimed architect Tatiana Bilbao as our commencement speaker and an honorary doctorate recipient for professional excellence,” said President Mahesh Daas. “Tatiana's commitment to incorporating culture, people, and thoughtful design methods into her work resonates deeply with our institution's principles.”

“By seamlessly merging research and design, her innovative approach serves as a beacon, and an inspiration for our graduates to envision architecture and urban design as catalysts for positive transformation—fostering environments characterized by empathy, resilience, and inclusivity.”

Based in Mexico City, Tatiana Bilbao began her studio, Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO, in 2004 with the aim of research, design, community-led strategies, and responsible construction. The studio’s projects range from urban masterplans to affordable housing strategies, from city planning to furniture design. The goal of their work is to design for and with the people as they believe that architecture is a primary form of care.

Prior to founding her eponymous firm, she held the role of Advisor in the Ministry of Development and Housing of the Government of the Federal District of Mexico City and was part of the General Development Directorate of the Advisory Council for Urban Development in the City.

“Receiving such a distinction [from The Boston Architectural College] is both an honor and a responsibility, to both I am truly thankful,” said Tatiana Bilbao. “Graduating in the world today is also a big responsibility that is carried after a huge privilege—not to underestimate the struggles that each graduate passed through to arrive here, but taking into account that only 16 percent of the global population are able to receive a professional degree—this is a privilege.”

“It’s a proven fact that architecture has an absolute power of shaping societies. The responsibility of these [BAC] graduates is how they will use those tools to shape a world where skills learned in an educational environment will transcend from a privilege to an opportunity for all.”

The studio’s architectural work includes: ESTOA, a university building on the UDEM campus; the Culiacan Botanical Garden; the Pilgrimage Route in Jalisco; an affordable social housing prototype displayed at the 2015 Chicago Biennial; three housing buildings in Lyon France; The Research Center of the Sea of Cortez; Olive West, a new housing development in St Louis, among others.

As a leading global designer, Tatiana Bilbao has received numerous accolades including recognition of the Kunstpreis Berlin in 2012; named in 2010 as an Emerging Voice by the Architecture League of New York; Global Award for Sustainable Architecture Prize by the LOCUS Foundation in 2014; Marcus Prize Award 2019; Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal of 2020 as well as the Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in 2021, the Richard Neutra Award in 2022, the AW Architect of the Year in 2022, and the most recent, the J.Irwin and Xenia. S Miller Prize Award in 2023.

She holds a recurring teaching position at Yale University School of Architecture and has taught at Harvard University GSD, Columbia University GSAPP, Rice University, University of Andres Bello in Chile, and Peter Behrens School of Arts at HS Dusseldorf in Germany. Her work has been published in The New York Times, A + U, Domus, among others.

About the BAC 
Founded in 1889, The Boston Architectural College (BAC) stands as a leading institution in spatial design, recently ranked #4 Best College for Architecture in America by Niche among 240 institutions. The BAC has also been rated #1 for Best Graduate School in Architecture for Earning Potential and #4 for Best Architecture School Offering Bachelor's Degrees in the U.S. in 2020 by GradReports. Renowned for its diverse student body representing over 54 countries, the BAC offers bachelor and graduate degrees in architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, and design studies, alongside continuing education certificates and courses. The BAC's dedication to its mission to diversify the design profession, is reflected in its commitment to accessibility through offering onsite or online learning options. Embracing inclusive admission, diversity, and innovation, the BAC fosters a community of dedicated faculty and students committed to both academic excellence and practical experience.

PR Newswire Release.