Philip Beesley

Beesley received a B.F.A from Queen’s University and a B.Arch from the University of Toronto. He also holds a diploma in Architectural and Mechanical Drafting/Machining from Humber College. He has been a practicing visual artist since 1978.{{Cite web |last=Jobson |first=Christopher |date=2017-12-08 |title=Artist Philip Beesley Merges Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence, and Interactivity to Create "Living" Architecture |url=https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/12/philip-beesley-living-architecture/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Colossal |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=February 28, 2020 |title=The home of the future might constantly adapt to its residents: Architect and sculptor Philip Beesley reimagines spaces as alive, reactive and responsive. |work=CBC Radio |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/why-fungi-could-be-the-future-of-environmentally-sustainable-building-materials-1.5479660/the-home-of-the-future-might-constantly-adapt-to-its-residents-1.5480109 |access-date=December 19, 2022}}{{Citation |title=A future of living architecture {{!}} Philip Beesley {{!}} TEDxToronto |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-soBepO13Q |language=en |access-date=2022-12-21}}

He was a member of art and performance collaboratives Open Series and Studio Six/Kataraque in Kingston and the George Meteskey Ensemble in New York. Periods of study were undertaken in Rome at the Vatican and the American Academy and in New York with the Wooster Group. Prior to beginning his practice he apprenticed in instrument making and in lighting design. His focus on textile structures began in exchanges with members of the Toronto craft community and the Textile Museum of Canada during the 1990s. Exchanges with Philadelphia artist Warren Seelig from 1995 to 1998 introduced geotextiles as a class of engineering structures, reinforced by dialogues with Kenneth Snelson and Chuck Hoberman in 1998. At the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Thoman Seebohm supported a focus on computational modeling during the late 1990s. Interactive systems were introduced by Diane Willow at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in 2002. Jim Ruxton, Steven Wood, and Robert Gorbet supported his learning of electronics and digital control systems during collaborations 2003-7.{{cite book |last1=Beesley |first1=Philip |title=Kinetic Architectures and Geotextile Installations |date=1997 |publisher=Riverside Architectural Press |location=Cambridge, Ontario |isbn=978-0-9780978-5-1 |page=181}}

Beesley was co-founder of the University of Waterloo Integrated Centre for Visualization, Design and Manufacturing in 2001.{{Cite web |title=Facilities {{!}} Architecture {{!}} University of Waterloo |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/architecture/about-waterloo-architecture/facilities |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=uwaterloo.ca |language=en}} Beesley is currently a professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture{{Cite web |date=2012-12-06 |title=Philip Beesley |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/architecture/people-profiles/philip-beesley |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=University of Waterloo School of Architecture |language=en}} and the European Graduate School.{{Cite web |last= |title=Philip Beesley |url=https://egs.edu/biography/philip-beesley/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=The European Graduate School Division of Philosophy, Art & Critical Thought |language=en-US}} He serves as the director of the Living Architecture Systems Group (LASG) and director for Riverside Architectural Press. His Toronto-based practice, Philip Beesley Studio Inc., works in numerous collaborations, including long-standing exchanges with Iris van Herpen,{{Cite web |last=Phelps |first=Nicole |date=2017-10-17 |title="Having to Do This on Your Own Would Be Horrible"—7 Fashion Duos on the Rewards of Collaboration |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/lou-stoppard-fashion-together |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Whyte |first=Murray |date=2018-06-06 |title=Iris van Herpen and Philip Beesley: a fashion and architecture duo cut from uncommon cloth |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/visualarts/2018/06/05/iris-van-herpen-and-philip-beesley-a-fashion-and-architecture-duo-cut-from-uncommon-cloth.html |access-date=2022-12-21}}{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Vanessa |date=2019-11-14 |title=From a Sewing Needle to a Laser Cutter, a New Approach to Fashion |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/fashion/iris-van-herpen-style.html |access-date=2022-12-21 |issn=0362-4331}} Salvador Breed, Rob Gorbet, and Matt Gorbet.

Beesley's work has been exhibited at international cultural venues, including the Venice Biennale of Architecture with "Hylozoic Ground"{{Cite web |last=Etherington |first=Rose |date=2010-08-26 |title=Hylozoic Ground by Philip Beesley |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2010/08/27/hylozoic-ground-by-philip-beesley/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Dezeen |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Jegatheesan |first1=Ramya |last2=Noakes |first2=Susan |title=Bound for the Venice biennale: Hylozoic Ground: Philip Beesley's experiment with architecture that lives |work=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bound-for-the-venice-biennale-1.919158 |access-date=2022-12-21}} and "Grove",{{Cite web |last=Novakovic |first=Stefan |date=2021-05-28 |title=Philip Beesley Brings a Living Galaxy to Venice |url=https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/philip-beesley-brings-a-living-galaxy-to-venice/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Azure Magazine}} the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art with "Epiphyte Chamber",{{Cite web |last=Hiott-Millis |first=Lily |date=2013-12-04 |title=A Chamber Of Lights That Feels What You Feel |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-chamber-of-lights-that-feels-what-you-feel/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Vice |language=en}} the Royal Ontario Museum with "Aegis" and "Noosphere",{{Cite web |last=Barandy |first=Kat |date=2018-07-18 |title=Beesley's New Sculptural Environments Employ Artificial Intelligence and Synthetic Biology |url=https://www.designboom.com/art/philip-beesley-transforming-space-aegis-noosphere-07-18-18/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Designboom Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Agnew |first=Caitlin |date=2018-06-07 |title=ROM's Iris van Herpen exhibition focuses on the futurism of fashion |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/article-a-new-exhibition-in-toronto-focuses-on-the-futurism-of-fashion/ |access-date=2022-12-20}} the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with "Sentient Veil",{{Cite web |last=McQuaid |first=Cate |date=2017-03-16 |title=Sound art at the Gardner: seeing with your ears |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2017/03/16/sound-art-gardner-seeing-with-your-ears/pyUGUvBH5SuBL3kwSbR1uO/story.html |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=The Boston Globe}} and the San José International Airport with "Threshold".{{Cite web |title=Permanent Public Artwork Unveiled at Mineta San José International Airport |url=https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3521/4699 |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=City of San José |language=en}}

Beesley was inducted as a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2011 and is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-08-22 |title=Fellows and Past Officers |url=https://raic.org/raic/fellows-and-past-officers |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Royal Architectural Institute of Canada |language=en}}

He is the recipient of the Prix de Rome for Architecture, the ACADIA Award for Emerging Digital Practice,{{Cite web |title=Past Recipients of the ACADIA Awards of Excellence |url=http://acadia.org/content/awards#past_recipients |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture |language=en}} and the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2004-05-10 |title=2004 Ontario Association of Architects Award Winners |url=https://www.canadianarchitect.com/2004-ontario-association-of-architects-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Canadian Architect |language=en-US}} among others.

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Category:1956 births

Category:Living people

Category:Queen's University at Kingston alumni

Category:University of Toronto alumni