In 2007, James Mary O’Connor, FAIA, received the American Institute of Architects Young Architect Award, cited as “a virtual ambassador for American architects, he brings excellence, humanity, and honor to his profession.” Born in Dublin, Ireland, James came to Charles Moore’s Master Studios at University of California, Los Angeles in 1982 as a Fulbright Scholar. James received his Master of Architecture from UCLA, his Diploma in Architecture from the Dublin Institute of Technology, and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Trinity College, Dublin. He joined Moore Ruble Yudell in 1983.
As Principal-in-Charge, James has provided design leadership for several award-winning residential, academic and mixed-use urban projects. International work has become a focus, with large-scale housing and planning projects in Sweden, The Philippines, Japan, and several areas of China. A recent prominent project is the competition-winning Grangegorman Master Plan in Dublin, Ireland. Additional award winning projects include the new campus master plan for Shanghai Tech University in Shanghai, China and the Providence Saint John’s Health Center South Campus Master Plan in Santa Monica, California. Over the past 25 years, James has taught design studios, lectured, and been invited as guest critic at universities around the world. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a Registered Architect in the State of California.