About the Jury

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alberta, Walter Francl received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of British Columbia, followed by a Master’s degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. After several years in practice with a number of firms in Vancouver and with Moshe Safdie’s Boston office, Francl launched his own firm in Vancouver in 1994. His work encompasses a broad range of project types, including institutional, infrastructure/transportation, commercial/retail and residential/mixed use. Along with a number of transit stations for the Greater Vancouver Regional District, recent projects include the Rennie Art Gallery & Offices (see CA, October 2010), the Creekside Community Recreation Centre (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.), and the False Creek Energy Centre. Francl has also taught as a sessional instructor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including several Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Awards, a Design Award for Sacred Landscapes from the American Institute of Architects, a Globe Foundation Award for Excellence in Green Building, and a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.

Diarmuid Nash has enjoyed over 20 years with Toronto-based Moriyama & Teshima, having joined the firm in 1988 after completing work on the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, a $137-million design-build project. A partner since 1998, Diarmuid is particularly skilled and adept at managing complex projects, delivering award-winning buildings on time and on budget. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Nash has taught at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, and was President of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 2001. He acted as partner in charge of the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa (a recipient of a Governor General’s Award in 2008), and the recently completed multi-phase Queenston Plaza border-crossing redevelopment. As architects of record, Moriyama & Teshima are responsible for the $250-million fast-track multi-phase Aga Khan Museum complex in Toronto, a project that Nash is currently leading. Additionally, he is directing the M&T team on the new $300-million City Hall project for the City of Surrey in British Columbia. Nash has been honoured with the President's Medal from the American Institute of Architects and from the Federacion de Colegio de Arquitectos de la Republica Mexicana.

Peter Sampson is a practicing architect who has taught at the Universities of Toronto, Waterloo, and Manitoba. He has a degree in Literature from McGill University and received his professional degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto. Having mentored with Levitt Goodman Architects in Toronto, he established Peter Sampson Architecture Studio in Winnipeg where he now resides with his wife and children. He is a founding partner of the DPA+PSA+DIN Collective, the architects of the University of Winnipeg's Buhler Centre and Plug In ICA's new contemporary art gallery. Committed to work that enables the pursuit of a socio-ecological architecture practice, his 10-person studio continues to contribute to the evolution of net-zero-energy design and construction – albeit, one small step at a time. Current commissions include a downtown bike lab, urban design for a northern community, health, wellness, and educational facilities, affordable housing, and private residences. Peter also finds time to pursue freelance writing opportunities, and is the proud recipient of a Canadian Architect Student Award of Excellence – an accomplishment that dates back to 1999.