Michael Murphy

Co-founder, MASS Design Group

Can a new hospital in Haiti help end a cholera epidemic? Can a family services center revitalize Rust Belt cities? Join MASS Design Group co-founder Michael Murphy for his Day 1 keynote—Anticipate Need: Design That Cares—where he’ll question the end of architecture and explore groundbreaking projects that redefine plans, process, materials, and the function and purpose of architects.

As co-founder and executive director of MASS Design Group, Michael Murphy envisions and creates community-centric structures with healing built into their core. He leads design and research programs at MASS, which he cofounded in 2010, and has expanded its work into a dozen countries in Africa and the Americas.

He regularly speaks on architecture and health care, and sits on the boards of the Clinton Global Initiative Advisory Committee, the Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Board, and the Center for Healthcare Design. Michael is a recipient of the prestigious Curry Stone Design Prize and holds a Master in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Buildings that heal

Michael and MASS Design Group’s award-winning 2011 Butaro District Hospital—built in collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and Partners In Health—redefines the value of purposeful, human-centric design in health care environments. Since then, he’s brought this successful model to multiple countries and created opportunities with top hospitals across the US. 

“Architecture is never neutral. It either heals or hurts. Our mission is to research, build and advocate for architecture that promotes justice and human dignity.” —MASS Design Group

Keynote details

Michael shares the keynote stage with Francis Kéré, Hon. FAIA, Elizabeth Diller, and Alejandro Aravena on Day 1 of the AIA Conference on Architecture. Don’t miss their powerful, short-form talks happening Thursday, April 27.

See Michael:
Thursday, 8:30am, Hall C
Anticipate Need: Design That Cares