The 2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence is an annual awards program is open to all architects registered in Canada and to Canadian architectural graduates for buildings designed in Canada and abroad. Foreign architects are permitted to submit, provided they have partnered with a Canadian-registered architect.
Project submissions will be accepted after August 11, 2011, and must be received by 5:00pm EST on Thursday, September 15, 2011.
Projects must be in the design stage, scheduled for construction or under construction but not substantially complete by September 15, 2011. All projects must be commissioned by a client with the intention to build the submitted proposal. All building types and concisely presented urban design schemes are eligible. Awards are given for architectural design excellence. Jurors will consider the scheme’s response to the client’s program, site, and geographic and social context. They will evaluate its physical organization, form, structure, materials and environmental features.
The jury has been finalized for this fall, and consists of Walter Francl, Principal of Walter Francl Architecture Inc. in Vancouver; Diarmuid Nash, Partner in Moriyama & Teshima Architects in Toronto; and Peter Sampson, Principal of Peter Sampson Architecture Studio in Winnipeg.
A graduate of both the University of British Columbia and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Walter Francl launched his own firm in 1994 after several years in practice. His work encompasses a broad range of project types, including institutional, infrastructure/transportation, commercial/retail and residential/mixed-use. Recent projects include the Rennie Art Gallery & Offices (see the October 2010 issue of Canadian Architect), the Creekside Community Recreation Centre (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.), and the False Creek Energy Centre. He is the recipient of many 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 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, aggressive fast-track, CM/GMP projects that must address the often divergent priorities of diverse user and interest groups, and delivering award-winning buildings on time and on budget. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Diarmuid has taught at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, and was the 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 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 Diarmuid 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. Diarmuid 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 of 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 a proud recipient of a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
For more information and to download the entry form, please visit http://www.canadianarchitect.com/awards/pdfs/2011_canadian_architect_awards_of_excellence_entry_form.pdf. The entry form is also available in the July 2011 and August 2011 print editions of Canadian Architect.