Monica Ponce de León made history in 2007, when she became the first Hispanic architect to win the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture. It’s far from the only barrier the Venezuelan American architect has broken in her decades-long career. A leader in using digital fabrication and robotics to enhance her work, Ponce de León was a founding partner of Office dA, then launched her firm MPdL Studio in 2011. She’s drawn to the intersection of public and private spaces, most recently with the Pompano Beach Public Library and Cultural Center. As the dean of Princeton University School of Architecture, Ponce de León has continued to advocate for changes in the architecture profession, including to the licensure process, which has too many obstacles for people of color.
