Jump to content

Darren Petrucci

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Darren Petrucci is an American architect, educator, and urban designer known for implementing the concept of amenity infrastructure.[1] He is the Suncor Professor at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Design School, where he served as Founding Director from 2005 to 2012,[2] and the principal of A-I-R (Architecture-Infrastructure-Research) Inc.[3]

He has received the Progressive Architecture Award,[4] the AIA Award, Architectural League Emerging Voices, and two NCARB Awards.[5]

His work has been featured in Metropolis, Places Journal, Architect Magazine, and Sprawl, as well as in Public Space, published by the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Princeton Architectural Press, and Re-Envisioning Landscape/Architecture, published by Actar Press.[6] His projects have been exhibited in Barcelona, Phoenix, New York, and at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.[7]

Biography

[edit]

He was born in New Jersey and grew up in Colorado.[8] Petrucci’s early introduction with nature and spatial design stemmed from childhood explorations in Colorado’s landscapes and living in a 16-foot-wide, 7-level mountainside condominium.[2] Initially pursuing pre-med studies at Tulane University, he shifted to architecture, later earning a Bachelor of Science in Design from ASU in 1990 with honors.[9] He completed dual master’s degrees at Harvard Graduate School of Design: a Master of Architecture (MArch) and a Master of Architecture and Urban Design (MAUD) in 1996, both awarded with distinction.[10] He is also the 1996 recipient of Harvard's Peter Rice Prize.[5]

His graduate thesis introduced amenity infrastructure inspired by Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash—a flood-management system transformed into a network of public parks.[8]

Career

[edit]

Petrucci’s career spans academia and practice.[11] At ASU, he served as Director of The Design School (2005–2012), where he unified design disciplines and established the Master of Urban Design (MUD) program.[4] During his tenure as Director, the Architecture Program received its highest National ranking in the history of the School.[12] As a professor, he founded SCAPE (Systems Components Architectural Products + Environments), a research lab exploring sustainable design solutions.[6] He holds affiliate roles in ASU’s Biomimicry Center[10] and School for the Future of Innovation in Society and is a Senior Sustainability Scientist at the Global Institute of Sustainability.[2]

In 2001, he launched A-I-R Inc., a firm bridging architecture, infrastructure, and research.[13] In 2019, he founded the nonprofit FA-I-RTRADE, creating cost-effective, sustainable structures for underserved communities in Cape Town and Nepal.[8]

Petrucci’s teaching focused on life-centered design, shifting focus from human-centric to ecological solutions.[14] He co-created COLĪD (Center of Life-Inspired Design), a transdisciplinary studio tackling issues like coral reef restoration.[15] His studios have partnered with Hawaii Green Growth,[16] the Galapagos Islands,[17] and Nepal’s Sherpa communities.[10]

In 2011, Petrucci delivered a TEDx Talk in Scottsdale, Arizona, discussing various aspects of architecture and design.[5]

Architectural work and style

[edit]

In 2006, Darren Petrucci designed the VH R-10 gHouse in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.[18] He incorporates Brise-soleil sunshades and modular construction methods, focusing on passive solar heating and cooling.[1] The project won the Architectural Record's Record House Award in 2008 and was featured in the book Martha’s Vineyard: Contemporary Living (2010).[19]

In 2017, He collaborated with Hawaii Green Growth on the Ala Wai Watershed Rehabilitation project, which focuses on restoring Honolulu's Ala Wai River corridor.[20]

In 2019, Petrucci designed the Nepal Orphanage through his FA-I-RTRADE initiative as a modular building to provide housing for Sherpa children in Khandbari, Nepal.[2] Petrucci developed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station as a low-impact research facility prototype, funded by a $15,000 grant from the Smithsonian.[21] His project emphasizes ecological preservation and aims to provide a sustainable research environment on Coiba Island, Panama.

In 2017, Petrucci completed the Ghost Wash House in Paradise Valley, Arizona, a 9,000-square-foot residential project[22] that integrates ecological functionality with desert aesthetics.[23] His design features a central artificial wash that mimics natural desert arroyos, incorporating brick patterns and a floating canopy to regulate microclimates within the house.[24] The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized the project as U.S. residential designs of 2018 and received the Arizona Masonry Guild's Golden Trowel Award.[3]

Petrucci’s urban design work includes Stripscape (Phoenix, Arizona, 2004–2008), a streetscape revitalization project along 7th Avenue[25] that involved a $1.3 million investment.[26] It earned the NCARB Prize for its integration of education and practice in urban design.[6]

Petrucci's international and humanitarian work include the Rugby Road Duplex (Cape Town, South Africa, 2017–Present).[8] The duplex incorporates precast concrete molds to harvest rainwater and solar energy.[27]

From 2013 to 2015, Petrucci worked on Buckeye Bands (Buckeye, Arizona), an urban plan developed in collaboration with the White Tank Mountain Conservancy.[28]

Petrucci's work includes the Copper Canyon House, a desert home located at the base of Camelback Mountain near Phoenix.[29] Petrucci’s approach to architecture focuses on creating spaces that connect inhabitants closely to nature, with the Copper Canyon House described as a desert dwelling that feels like camping in nature.[30]

Selected awards

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Christiansen, Shelley (2010-10-01). "Unexpected Architecture". Martha's Vineyard Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  2. ^ a b c d De Prospo, Bex. "Meet Darren Petrucci". Teulo. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  3. ^ a b "A-I-R creates oasis around central living spaces at Arizona desert house". Dezeen. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  4. ^ a b "Director of Arizona State University School of Architecture to lecture Oct. 5 at SU School of Architecture". SU News. 2005-09-16. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  5. ^ a b c "Petrucci, Darren". CSPO. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  6. ^ a b c d "Darren Petrucci is the founder and principal of A-I-R [Architecture-Infrastructure-Research]". The Architectural League of New York. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  7. ^ "Darren Petrucci - Architect Scottsdale / United States". Archilovers. 2024-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  8. ^ a b c d "Architect Darren Petrucci is Ushering Phoenix Design into the Future". Phoenix Home & Garden. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  9. ^ Cerretani, Jessica (2008-06-07). "Outside the Box". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  10. ^ a b c Jaresen, Scott. "IN FOCUS: Darren Petrucci of A-I-R, Inc". AZ Architecture.
  11. ^ "VH r-10 gHouse by Darren Petrucci: Project Specs | 2008-04-01 | Architectural Record". www.architecturalrecord.com. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  12. ^ "Design school programs rank among top 20 nationally | ASU News". news.asu.edu. December 12, 2011. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  13. ^ Feniak, Hannah (2021-10-27). "On Solid Ground: 10 Top Landscape Architecture Firms in 2021". Journal. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  14. ^ "Teulo Talks: 28 April 2022_Part Two: Darren Petrucci A-I-R + Theodore Kerdilis k20 Architecture". Teulo Ltd. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  15. ^ "Stunned by devastation of coral reefs in Hawaii, ASU students design solutions | ASU News". news.asu.edu. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  16. ^ "Make the Ala Wai Awesome winners announced | University of Hawaiʻi System News". www.hawaii.edu. 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  17. ^ jenna (2018-04-24). "Impressive Impact: 2016-2018 Cohort Grads Ready to Lead". Biomimicry 3.8. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  18. ^ a b "VH R-10 G House / Architecture-Infrastructure-Research". ArchDaily. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  19. ^ Broome, Beth. "Darren Petrucci Architect - Articles | Architectural Record". www.architecturalrecord.com. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  20. ^ Terrill, Marshall. "ASU's Design School reimagines a more sustainable Hawaii | ASU News". news.asu.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  21. ^ "Tropical classroom inspires exhibit, Smithsonian field station design | ASU News". news.asu.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  22. ^ Tucker, Emma (2018-10-22). "Why the desert is a foil for contemporary architecture". The Spaces. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  23. ^ "Ghost Wash House". Architect. 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  24. ^ "Ghost Wash House | A+R Darren Petrucci". Modern Design. 2017-09-02. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  25. ^ Harvey, Shannon (2011-06-09). "After the City". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  26. ^ Petrucci, Darren (2005-04-15). "Stripscape: Pedestrian Amenities along 7th Avenue". Places Journal. 17 (2).
  27. ^ Green, Solid (2022-07-05). "Gemini Chapter 1: How it all started". Solid Green Consulting. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  28. ^ https://globalfutures.asu.edu/center-for-biodiversity-outcomes/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/01/CBO_FY16_Annual_Report_Links.pdf Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Annual Report | 2016 Sustainable urban design for development and wildlands conservation in the White Tanks Mountains region (Drs. Darren Petrucci and Paul Coseo)
  29. ^ Bradford, Amy (2024-08-01). "This Desert Home With a Tent-Like Copper Canopy Feels Like a Luxurious Tent". AD Middle East. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  30. ^ Vencill Sanchez, Kelly. "Inside An Arizona Desert Home By Architect Darren Petrucci". Luxe Interiors + Design | Architecture + Home Tours. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  31. ^ Bustler. "EMERGING VOICES 2009: Darren Petrucci, A-I-R; Elizabeth Gray and Alan Organschi, Gray Organschi Arch". Bustler. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  32. ^ "Teulo Talks: Building, Dwelling, Thinking: Part Two". Teulo. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
  33. ^ "Ghost Wash House / Architecture-Infrastructure-Research". ArchDaily. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darren_Petrucci&oldid=1293660969"