Famous Japanese architect, he graduated in architecture in 1984. Before opening his own studio, he worked for several years for the well-known architect Arata Isozaki. Winner of numerous awards, including the Grande Médaille d'or de l'Académie d'architecture (2004), Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture (2005), Grand Prize of AIJ (2009), honorary doctorate from the Technische Universität München (2009), L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (2010), Auguste Perret Prize (2011), Art Prize of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (2012), L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France ( le grade de commandeur) (2014), JIA Gran Prix (2016) and Mother Teresa Social Justice Award (2017). Shigeru Ban is also involved on a social level and in 1955 he became a consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and, in the same year, he founded the NGO Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN).