Our World in Ten Buildings

Michael P. Murphy is an architect, educator, and writer, and is the founder and president of AMMA, a design and development collaborative focused on the ways in which space shapes our minds, bodies, and communities. In 2007, he founded the architectural non-profit firm, MASS Design Group, and was CEO until 2022, leading the design of their projects including the Butaro Hospital and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice to name a few. He is currently the Thomas Ventulett Chair of Architecture at The Georgia Institute of Technology. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children.

“Murphy opens a door to understanding architecture and some of the most basic qualities and unshakable principles of life itself.”—Ai Weiwei “Murphy peels back the layers of architecture to reveal how human choices—often invisible, always consequential—shape the places we inhabit and pass through daily.”—Dan Barber, author of The Third Plate “With clarity and grace, Murphy shows how architecture is not just where life happens—it’s how life is held.”—Susan Magsamen, co-author of Your Brain on Art “A powerful case for why a deep respect for humanity is a prerequisite for all great architecture and design. Truly inspirational.”—Tim Brown, author of Change by Design “Murphy sees the world like a warrior architect poet and when you’re done with his words, maybe you will, too.”—Wright Thompson, author of The Barn “If you care about the built environment, human flourishing, or the connection between the two, you will benefit from reading Our World in Ten Buildings.”—Andrew Marantz, author of Antisocial "An illuminating, optimistic take on how architecture might be harnessed to better the world." —Kirkus