News: the American Institute of Architects has named Moshe Safdie as the 2015 recipient of the AIA Gold Medal.

Moshe Safdie, an Israeli architect who is now based in Boston, is best known for projects including the Marina Bay Sands hotel complex in Singapore, where the World Architecture Festival has been held, and Habitat 67, the experimental modular housing presented at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal.

His firm is also currently working on a huge greenhouse containing a waterfall and garden for Singapore's Changi airport and the Colombo skyscraper under construction in Sri Lanka.

BREAKING NEWS: Moshe Safdie Receives the 2015 AIA Gold Medal

— AIA National (@AIANational) December 10, 2014

In his nomination letter, Boston Society of Architects president Mike Davis, wrote: "Moshe Safdie has continued to practice architecture in the purest and most complete sense of the word, without regard for fashion, with a hunger to follow ideals and ideas across the globe in his teaching, writing, practice and research."

The Gold Medal is the American Institute of Architects' highest accolade and is awarded annually to an individual whose work is expected to have a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.

Other recent winners include Steven Holl, Thom Mayne and Renzo Piano. Last year architect Julia Morgan became the first female recipient of the AIA Gold Medal, 56 years after her death.

The AIA announced the news via Twitter. The award will be presented to Safdie at the 2015 AIA National Convention in Atlanta. His name will also be chiselled into the granite Wall in the lobby of the AIA headquarters in Washington DC.

Photograph of Moshe Safdie is by Stephen Kelly.