Gil Schafer '80 Wins ICAA Arthur Ross Award for Architectural Excellence in the Classical Tradition

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) announced Millbrook School board member, alumnus, and leading architect Gil Schafer '80 as the 2019 recipient of the Arthur Ross Award for Excellence in the Classical Tradition for Architecture. 

Established in 1982 by Classical America advocate Arthur Ross (1910–2007) and its president, Henry Hope Reed (1916–2013), the Arthur Ross Awards were created to "recognize and celebrate excellence in the classical tradition." The awards have recognized the achievements and contributions of architects, painters, sculptors, artisans, landscape designers, educators, publishers, patrons, and others dedicated to preserving and advancing the classical tradition. The awardees are chosen annually by a selection committee comprised of members of the ICAA board of directors, advisory council, fellows, and distinguished members of related professions.

Gil Schafer '80 is one of the nation's leading practitioners of contemporary classical architecture. He holds a Master's of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture and is the author of the best-selling books The Great American House and A Place to Call Home.  He is a member of the Yale School of Architecture Dean's Council, a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and served as president and chairman of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art for over a decade.

A member of Architectural Digest's AD100 and a winner of Veranda's Art of Design Award, Schafer '80 and his firm's work have received multiple accolades and have been featured in various international publications. He is both known and respected for his unique ability to take the best of traditional architecture and translate it into connected and welcoming spaces that suit modern life. His passion for traditional architecture and for seamlessly integrating landscape and interior decoration into the architecture of a project are also hallmarks of his work. 

Putting his talent to work for his alma mater, so many buildings on Millbrook's campus reflect a traditional beauty and modern functionality; Schafer has contributed to almost every new architectural project at the school since the early 1990s. He has maintained Millbrook's "conservatively progressive" and traditional aesthetic when collaborating with Voith and Mactavish Architects and others to create functional spaces that also align with the school's core value of environmental stewardship. 

His passion and aptitude have resulted in both a remarkable career and a legacy of stunning spaces. Congratulations to Gil on this well-deserved honor and recognition. 




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