The American Institute of Steel Construction is pleased to announce that Sean Joyner will serve on the 2023 Forge Prize jury with Rona G. Rothenberg and Melanie Harris.
Joyner is a writer and essayist based in Los Angeles. He is currently the Southwest regional communications strategist at Gensler and previously served as an adjunct professor and director of communications at Woodbury University, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture degree.
"I see Sean's passion for architecture exemplified through his writing," said Alex Morales, Associate AIA, EDAC, LEED Green Assoc., AISC's senior structural steel specialist for the Houston market, who leads the Forge Prize program. "As a designer, author, educator, and mentor, Sean has made himself an open resource to emerging professionals in architecture, and his belief in the Forge Prize is a testament to his continued passion."
Joyner's essays and articles typically explore themes spanning history, pop culture, and philosophy and how they connect to the field of architecture, though his topics of exploration vary widely.
Before launching his career in writing, Joyner worked in several firms as a designer and project leader, primarily on K-12 and some higher education work.
Outside of architecture, he enjoys reading, training in Brazilian jiujitsu, and spending time with his family.
The Forge Prize, established in 2018, identifies creative emerging architects with visionary designs that embrace steel as a primary structural component and capitalize on steel's ability to increase a project's speed. Entries are due November 30.
It's a unique opportunity to experiment with a conceptual design, with no limits on scope or complexity, and the stakes are high. Three finalists will each win $5,000 and work with a steel fabricator to further develop their ideas. The winner will receive the $10,000 grand prize and an invitation to present before an audience of the industry's best minds at the Architecture in Steel conference, April 12-14, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C.