Biography of Cameron Sinclair

 During his studies Sinclair developed an interest in social, cultural and humanitarian design. His postgraduate thesis focused on providing shelter to New York's homeless through sustainable, transitional housing. After his studies, he moved to New York where he worked as a designer and project architect.

In 1999 co-founded Architecture for Humanity, which seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crisis and brings design services to communities in need. Currently the organization is working in a dozen countries on projects ranging from health centers in Sub-Saharan Africa, community centers in South East Asia to low-income housing on the Gulf Coast of the United States. In 2007 Architecture for Humanity launched the Open Architecture Network, an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Sinclair and co-founder Kate Stohr compiled the first ever compendium on socially conscious design titled "Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises". �

He has taught at the University of Minnesota and Montana State University and lectures regularly at schools in the United States and abroad. He has spoken at a number of international business and design conferences on sustainable development and post disaster reconstruction, including guest appearances on BBC World Service and CNN International, National Public Radio and PBS. �

In addition Sinclair currently serves on the advisory boards of the Acumen Fund, the Detroit Collaborative Design Center and the Institute for State Effectiveness.

In 2005 he was named as the Target/RISD Emerging Designer of the Year and the following year a finalist for UK Designer of the Year. Sinclair was named as one of three winners of the 2006 TED Prize, which honors visionaries from any field who have shown they can "positively impact life on this planet."