About The Foundation

Clifford Curry, FAIA

Co-Founder

Architect Clifford Curry’s fifty-plus year career has been dedicated to strengthening underserved communities using architecture, design-and collaboration.

In 1968, while still in architecture school, he created the first-ever master plan for his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. Next, he relocated to Oregon (where he remains) and led an urban renewal project for the city of Salem. In both cases he forged consensus between civic leaders and residents from all walks of life, resulting in a collective vision for a more vibrant and livable city. These early commissions influenced his belief that all types of problems can be approached from a design standpoint.

For over thirty-five years, Cliff focused his practice on senior living. He designed 320 affordable, service-rich facilities that have been home to 2.4 million seniors in the US, China, Canada and the UK. Worlds away from the usual, dreary “old people’s homes,” Cliff innovated buildings that mitigate loneliness, elevate quality of life and promote wellbeing-years before this thinking was fashionable. Drawing on his city planning experience, Cliff also ensured the facilities were perceived as an asset to surrounding neighborhoods. Arguably his work changed the paradigm for senior housing.

In 2007, out of a desire to further the use of design as a tool to improve the lives of people who don’t usually have access to design services, he co-founded the Curry Stone Foundation with his partner, historical archeologist and community activist Delight Stone. Together with their team, they promote, empower and inspire a global generation of social design pioneers working in-and with, diverse communities.

In 2015 The American Institute of Architects recognized Cliff with a Fellowship designation in recognition of his work in the senior living community and promoting humanitarian design. In 2015 the SF AIA honored the Curry Stone Foundation with one of their annual awards.

Dr. Delight Stone

Co-Founder

For over forty years Dr. Delight Stone has worked across platforms and geographies promoting, defending and creating community vitality.

Delight is a philanthropist, historical archeologist and community activist. This activism has been local, national, and international and includes work in archaeology, cultural resource management, architectural preservation, design, public health, and environmental and social justice. This includes participation with the Reclaiming group Living River, North Santiam Watershed Council in opposition to the Kinross Copper Mine, and the creation of the Guadalupe Medical Clinic in Salem, Oregon.

Born and raised in the rural west, especially the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Delight grew up working in the fields, picking crops, and on farms. She then worked her way through undergraduate school and after graduation worked in as an engineering technician. Subsequently she earned an international MBA, a masters in applied anthropology and a PhD in historical archaeology.

In 2007, she and Cliff Curry co-founded the Curry Stone Foundation and the Curry Stone Design Prize to promote and honor designers who address the critical social needs of people who are not typically served by the design community. The prize championed the belief that design can be a powerful force for improving lives and strengthening communities. Among other facets of the prize, Delight oversaw production of short documentary videos about the winners.

When not travelling to India to visit project sites for the Curry Stone Design Collaborative or working on behalf of practices in the Curry Stone design network, Delight enjoys reading mystery books, cooking, and Bikram Hot Yoga.

Sandhya Naidu Janardhan

Managing Director, Curry Stone Design Collaborative

Sandhya Naidu is the Managing Director of Curry Stone Design Collaborative. She is currently collaborating with a diverse group of communities across India using simple design interventions helping create dignified places to live, learn, play and work.

Prior to moving to Mumbai, Sandhya spent 3-years in Singapore working as an Associate at Tierra Design, an award-winning, boutique landscape architecture firm. She had the opportunity to work on integrative design projects across East and Southeast Asia and was part of the senior management team in charge of business development and operations at the firm. This period was critical to Sandhya’s growth as an architect and designer, giving her better insights into commercial design practices and real-estate development. This experience eventually led her back to work in service to communities that are most in need, but equipped with a more balanced view of ‘mainstream architecture’ and ‘social architecture’.

Sandhya’s first main venture into the professional practice of architecture was at Architecture of Humanity. During her time there, Sandhya learned the incredible role that design and planning can play in changing, improving and mitigating inequities in the built environment.

Sandhya held various positions managing design projects, programme development, operations, and lean innovation interventions with a focus on community-led design. Sandhya worked in multiple countries with a particular focus on education and healthcare, including Haiti where she addressed post-disaster reconstruction work after the 2010 earthquake. Sandhya is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in New York City; and the architecture programme at RV College of Engineering in Bangalore, India. She is a TED Fellow, has been nominated for the Yale World Fellows Program, and served on the jury for the Nathaniel A. Owings Award.

Leah Freidenrich

Research

Leah has a background in education, library and information studies and psychology.

She has spent a lifetime cultivating curiosity and assisting people with their informational, philosophical and psychological questions. Leah holds graduate degrees from the University of Southern California and Pacifica Graduate Institute. When she is not traveling, she enjoys literary fiction, photography and gardening with her cat Newman.