George Ferguson CBE PPRIBA RWA

Past President RIBA (2003/5) and first elected Mayor of Bristol UK (2012-16). In both roles he served with a strong environmental and education agenda, notably securing Bristol’s status as European Green Capital 2015, as well as a founder member of Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities and as a UNESCO Learning City. 

From his Bristol based practice Ferguson Mann Architects he founded the UK wide group of architects, Acanthus, in 1986. He was also a founder of the Academy of Urbanism during his presidency of the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

In the 90’s he developed the ‘Tobacco Factory’ in South Bristol, a multi-use project, including a theatre at the heart of the building, which together with a thriving cafe bar and creative industry education and workspace has become a model for culture led city regeneration. He is an active social entrepreneur with a strong localism agenda which includes the Bristol Beer Factory, Five Acre Farm, farm shop, bakery and a thriving Sunday market.   

He has an international profile as an advocate for liveable cities and the global environment and has represented the European Commission, Eurocities, ICLEI, including at Paris COP21 and at the G7 2016 summit in Japan.

He was appointed a CBE for services to architecture and the community in 2010, has honorary degrees from the University of Bristol and the University of West of England and is a Fellow of the University of Bristol Cabot Institute. He is also HonAoU HonAIA HonFRIAS and an Honorary Citizen of Seoul.