Don spoke with clarity and candor at the Inaugural Gindroz Symposium on Affordable Housing, held at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art‘s national headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. Drawing from twenty-five years of practice, Don’s presentation moved through urbanism to community to construction details—offering observation rather than ideology, evidence rather than assertion—and grounding it all in the conviction that affordable housing is simply housing.
With Union Studio as the 2023 recipient, Don was among fellow Gindroz Award winners including the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (2022), Artspace (2024), and the team behind Nansledan—the 2025 award winner. Nansledan is a 540-acre extension to Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall. Led by the Duchy of Cornwall and inspired by HM King Charles III’s vision, it was selected for its deep commitment to providing affordable housing while placing people and environmental impact at the center of design.
Beyond his presentation, Don participated in panel discussions with the Nansledan team—Phil Mason (Cornwall Council), Ben Bolgar (The King’s Foundation), Peter James (Duchy of Cornwall), and Hugh Petter (ADAM Architecture)—moderated by architect and urban strategist Delma Palma.