Sculptor-turned-architect James Wines predicates his architecture on aesthetics, for the simple reason that buildings which are not loved will not last. Since founding SITE (Sculpture in the Environment) in 1970, Wines has been committed over the course of more than 150 projects to an ecologically oriented integration of art, architecture, and landscape.

Wines first rose to prominence with his series of iconic Best Products showrooms in the 1970s; in the 1980s his firm handled projects in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East; in the 1990s he increasingly emphasized the social and environmental roles of architecture. Wines, who has designed structures for five world's fairs, was also called upon to produce schematic designs of the American and Canadian pavilions at Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

Other projects include a sculpture garden plan and visitor's pavilion for the Rossini Estate in Briosco, Italy; prototype restaurants for Chili's and Famous Dave's of America; a master plan for Cape May, New Jersey; and the restoration of a racetrack in Monza, Italy, as part of a planned auto racing museum. Wines' theories on sustainable architecture are presented in the book Green Architecture, published by Taschen. Wines heads up the department of architecture at Penn State University and has received numerous fellowships in visual art, critical writing, and architecture and environmental design. His projects have won more than 25 awards. In 1990 SITE cofounded the Architectural Youth Program, which introduces at-risk high school students to careers in design and the visual arts.