Paul Masi

Bates Masi + Architects embraces each project with extensive research, a limited material palate, a focus on natural light, craft, simple but elegant design and the context of place to produce unique solutions as varied as the individuals or groups for whom they are designed. How appropriate for this year’s Frank Welch Memorial Lecture! Projects include urban and suburban residences, schools, offices, hotels, restaurants, retail, and furniture in the United States, Central America and the Caribbean. Bates Masi’s work has been featured in national and international publications including The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Interior Design, Architectural Record, Wall Street Journal, and Dwell. The studio has produced two monographs, Bespoke Home and Architecture of Place. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger describes the studio’s work as “fresh, sharp and original” with “an unmistakable degree of self-assurance that is marked by a consistent but very subtle kind of elegance.” Paul Masi, AIA received a BA from Catholic University and his MA from the Harvard GSD. He worked at Richard Meier & Partners before co-founding Bates Masi with Harry Bates. “Our approach to design is about capturing the essence of an idea,” says Masi, and the studio has won over 240 design awards, including honors from AIA national, state and local chapters, Cooper Hewitt design recognitions, and awards from AN Best of Practice, Interior Design Best of Year, AR Record Houses, IDA, USGBC, Metal Architecture, and Residential Architecture. For their compelling body of work, Bates Masi has been honored as a member of the Interior Design Hall of Fame. Paul Masi presented this lecture for the Forum on May 8, 2025. Please support The Forum, a non-profit organization, at https://dallasarchitectureforum.org/donate/. so we can continue to present lectures and events featuring design thought leaders that educate, connect communities, and enhance how we live.