Sean A. Gallagher is a Principal and Director of Sustainable Design at Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) and has been a faculty member at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation for two decades.

Raised in a small Appalachian mountain community by ecologists, Gallagher developed an early understanding of landscapes as interconnected living systems. Over the past 25 years, this perspective has shaped his approach to architecture and urban design, exploring how cities can operate more like natural systems by integrating water, energy, habitat, materials, and human experience.

Gallagher led the interdisciplinary team behind CanalCafé, recipient of the Golden Lion for Best Participation at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. The project transformed water from a Venetian canal into potable water, demonstrating how ecological infrastructure can become a public and cultural experience. He served as Principal in Charge of the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago, named the 2022 Best Tall Building Worldwide by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

His exploration extends to Rio Retreat, a self-built, off-grid research site where he experiments with reclaimed materials, renewable energy, and low-carbon construction. Building these systems firsthand informs his approach to integrating regenerative strategies into larger urban projects.

As Vice President of the Embankment Preservation Coalition in Jersey City, Gallagher brings this philosophy into civic advocacy, leading the transformation of a historic stone rail embankment and its self-seeded urban forest into a public space rooted in preservation, ecology, and community. For Gallagher, the future of cities depends on how successfully we integrate natural systems into the urban fabric, creating environments where people and nature can thrive together.