Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship

Lafarge has an active partnership with architects, both contemporary and those working to preserve heritage. The Group believes it is vital to work with architects involved in preservation. The aim is to work together to develop products, applications and solutions for renovation and preservation by jointly carrying out emblematic experiments and projects.

Lafarge's many heritage preservation commitments include:

• Research programs carried out with the "Cercle des Partenaires du Patrimoine".
• Active participation in the  "Fondation du Patrimoine".
• Sponsorship initiatives in France and abroad. A good example of this is the renovation of the Eileen Gray Villa E1027, entrusted to head architect for historic monuments Pierre Antoine Gatier, the first Richard Morris Hunt Fellow in 1991.
• Funding of the Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship (RMHF).

In 2010, Tina Roach became the 1st Fellow to benefit from Lafarge's financial and technical support, marking a new chapter in the Group's ambition to take practical action to pool knowledge and expertise in relation to heritage.

The RMHF program, which was set up in 1990, is a grant managed by the American Architectural Foundation (AAF) and the French Heritage Society (FHS) and funded by Lafarge.

Each year, the RMHF panel alternately nominates a French or American Fellow based on their professional qualities, projects and potential to become a leader in their profession.
This very coveted international fellowship is aimed at French and American architects in mid-career, specializing in the field of preservation and fluent in French and English.

For 6 months, the Fellow can draw on a budget of 25,000 dollars to travel, attend conferences, plan visits and arrange meetings with great architects, engineers and preservation professionals.
Winners can also use the program to observe and practice the most modern preservation techniques from each country visited.

The last round of applications was held on November 10th, 2010, and was aimed at American architects.

The 20th Fellow, Tina Roach (American) developed her research around the following theme: "Sustainable design and historic preservation: what the 2 disciplines can offer one another".

New Fellow, Vanessa Fernandez (French) focused on the question: "Innovating to preserve: contemporary tools for 20th-century works".

So far, 22 American and French Fellows have taken part in this unique program:

• 1990 : John Robbins, AIA, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
• 1991 : Pierre-Antoine Gatier, head architect for historic monuments, Paris, France
• 1992 : Bonita Mueller, AIA, National Park Service, Denver, CO
• 1993 : Jean-Christophe Simon, DESA, CEHCMA, CMN, Paris, France
• 1994 : Ruth Todd, AIA, Page and Turnbull, San Francisco, CA
• 1995 : Linda Stevenson, AIA, Florida
• 1996 : Jérôme Francou, heritage architect, Lyon, France
• 1997 : Yves-Patrick Deflandre, AIA, New York, NY
• 1998 : Stéphanie Celle- Riccio, Bâtiments de France architect, Paris, France
• 1999 : Elizabeth Newman, AIA, Portland ME
• 2000 : Stéphanie Zugmeyer, heritage architect, archeologist, Arles, France
• 2001 : Raymond Plumey, FAIA, architect and planner, New York, NY
• 2002 : Sabina Fabris, heritage architect, Paris, France
• 2003 : Kyle Brooks, AIA, Government Services Administration, New York, NY
• 2004 : Pascal Filâtre, heritage architect, lecturer at ENSA Nantes, France
• 2005 : Mary Brush, AIA, Preservation Group Leader, Holabird & Root, Chicago, IL
• 2006 : Christophe Loustau, heritage architect, Paris, France
• 2007 : Wendy Hillis, AIA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 2008 : Diego Rodriguez, heritage architect, lecturer at ENSA Nantes, Paris, France
• 2009 : Tina Roach, AIA, LEED AP, Quinn Evans Architects, Washington DC
• 2010 : Vanessa Fernandez, lecturer at ENSA Belleville, Toulouse Liberal