Founding Director of Hodder+Partners and Professor at Manchester School of Architecture, Stephen Hodder, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Manchester Society of Architects Awards held at the newly restored New Century Hall on Thursday 15th June.
Stephen was educated at Manchester School of Architecture and went on to receive an honorary doctorate from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006. He was awarded an MBE for services to architecture in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 1998. Stephen was RIBA President from 2013-15 and Chair of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) from 2019-2021.
Stephen is this year celebrating 40 years in practice since establishing in 1983. The practice has now won over sixty major awards including the Royal Fine Art Commission/ Sunday Times Building of the Year Award for Colne Swimming Pool in Lancashire, the inaugural RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture for the Centenary Building, University of Salford and most recently seventeen for the Welcome Building at the RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford.
The award, presented by Robert McGinnes, Manchester Society of Architects President, is selected by the society members for the person that has made a significant contribution to architecture. Past winners have included Roger Stephenson, Rachel Hough and Sir Norman Foster.
Introducing the award, Robert said: "This award acknowledges those that have made a massive impact over a lifetime of work. This year’s award is for someone synonymous with Manchester architecture but who has also left their mark beyond. Still creating outstanding work, this year marks their 40th year in practice. It gives me great pleasure to announce this year’s award goes to Stephen Hodder."
Receiving the award, Stephen replied: "MSA was really the first community of architects I engaged with in the mid-1990s and so this means a great deal to me."
"Over 40 years we have been incredibly lucky and fortunate as a practice, particularly with the opportunities that have been presented to us. But architecture is a team activity…we have been engaged by many visionary clients and collaborated with excellent consultants and contractors. All have contributed to our work in architecture. And with every opportunity, and every project, I have worked with some extremely creative architects."
I must particularly thank my marital and business partner, Claire. Her leadership allows me to pursue the triangle of practice, profession and education so important to me. Architecture has been my life and passion, and I hope I still have more to give!"
The Manchester Society of Architects is a community of architects and students who champion and nurture the present and future architects of the city. The MSA awards, held annually since 1995, are an opportunity to celebrate the great work produced in our city region and to provide architects (and future architects) the opportunity to showcase their work to their peers across the region.