Kulapat Yantrasast, a native of Thailand, is a principal of WHY Architecture, based in Los Angeles, which he founded in 2003. Newsweek magazine’s article on architecture noted wHY Architecture as one of the innovative architectural practices of the new generation. Their philosophy of the integration of creative thinking with timeless design, along with their focus on intelligent and high-quality construction, have gained them a reputation for their architectural works and projects for the arts and culture all over the country.

WHY Architecture completed, in 2007, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the first new art museum in the world to receive the LEED certification for environmental design. Other current projects include the expansion and renovation of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, the oldest and largest art museum in Kentucky, a series of gallery design and collection installation at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Art Bridge at the Great Wall of Los Angeles, the Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice, California and the new Tyler Museum of Art in Texas as well as many residential and commercial projects.

Prior to WHY Architecture, he was a close associate with Tadao Ando and responsible as project architect on many projects during 1996 – 2003.He was the project architect on the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas, the ARMANI/EATRO in Milan, the projects for the Calder Museum in Philadelphia, the Fondation Francois Pinault in Paris and the project for the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Williamstown that he continues to work on with Tadao Ando.

Kulapat graduated with degree in Architecture from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, received his Masters and Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Tokyo, Japan under the Scholarship from Japanese Government. He lectures regularly in the US and worldwide. He has served, since 2005, on the Artists’ Committee of American for the Arts, the nation’s oldest organization for the support of the Arts in society. He was also awarded the prestigious Silpathorn Award in 2009 from the Government of Thailand for outstanding achievement and notable contributions to Thai contemporary arts and culture. He is the first architect to receive the award.

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