We’re excited to announce the 2024 Xref Travel Fellowship winners: Austin Anderson and Shweta Joshi. These talented recipients impressed our external jury with their thoughtful submissions, each earning a $5,000 travel stipend and 40 hours of additional paid time off (PTO) to embark on journeys that promise to expand their perspectives and inspire their design work.

What is Xref?
Xref is an internal initiative to foster creativity, exploration, and professional growth. Through opportunities like the Xref Travel Fellowship, our employee-owners can immerse themselves in global experiences that deepen their understanding of architecture, culture, and community. This ultimately enhances their work and enriches their perspectives on our projects.

Austin Anderson’s Journey: Tokyo – A City Beyond Design
Austin’s proposal dives into the layered urban complexity of Tokyo, a place where modernity and tradition constantly interplay. His study will explore Tokyo’s unique design philosophies, examining how cultural, technological, and environmental elements shape its distinctive architecture and public spaces. Through rich visual documentation, Austin aims to capture Tokyo’s dynamism as a city that transcends aesthetics and embodies the essence of innovation and resilience.

Shweta Joshi’s Journey: Kumbh Mela – The Largest Gathering on Earth
Shweta’s winning submission explores the awe-inspiring scale of the Kumbh Mela in India, the world’s largest religious gathering. Her study will delve into the monumental architectural and logistical feat of creating a temporary city accommodating millions of pilgrims. Shweta’s work will showcase the event’s remarkable sustainability and resilience, demonstrating how design and infrastructure adapt to serve a vibrant and dynamic community.

Austin and Shweta have shown extraordinary creativity and vision, and we look forward to seeing how their travels enrich their professional journeys. Congratulations to both for their outstanding contributions to architecture and design!