Monica Ponce de Leon is an architect, educator, and Dean of the Princeton University School of Architecture. As a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award winner, Ponce de Leon leads MPdL Studio, with multiple offices across the United States. Ponce de Leon’s architectural practice responds to emerging trends in the workplace and at home, focusing on wellness through innovative design strategies. Her groundbreaking design for Amanda Manufacturing headquarters in Logan, Ohio has received numerous awards including an AIA award, and has been featured in the national and international press including publications such as The Plan and Metropolis.
Ponce de Leon has received 13 awards from the American Institute of Architects, including the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture, as well as the prestigious Harleston Parker Medal from the Boston Society of Architects. She has also been honored with the Academic Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the USA Target Fellow in Architecture and Design from United States Artists, the Young Architects and Emerging Voices awards from the Architectural League of New York, and in 2016 was inducted into the National Academy of Design. Her work has been featured in publications around the world and has also participated in exhibitions at venues such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Venice Biennale and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.