The jury for the 2016 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence has been finalized. We are proud to introduce our esteemed jurors: Patricia Patkau, founding principal of Patkau Architects in Vancouver; David Sisam, founding principal of Montgomery Sisam Architects in Toronto; and Manon Asselin, founding principal of Atelier TAG in Montreal.
Patricia Patkau
AIBC, OAA, FRAIC, RCA, HFAIA, HFRIBA, CM
Patricia is a founding partner of Patkau Architects in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For over 30 years, her firm has insisted on a practice that integrates architectural, urban, social, environmental and cultural concerns. Projects range in scale from gallery installations to urban planning, focusing on the intricacies of local cultures, the specificities of places and the material imaginations of construction. Patkau Architects’ research arm, Patkau Studio, investigates and researches cladding systems, material-based processes, and the design of reproducible products.
Throughout her career, Patricia has been engaged in both teaching and professional practice. She is currently Professor Emerita at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia and a Member of the Order of Canada. She is also a recipient of the Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal for exemplary commitment to architectural education and the practice of architecture. In conjunction with her partner, John Patkau, she received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Gold Medal in 2009.
David Sisam
B.Arch., Architect AAA, OAA, FRAIC, LEED AP
David Sisam is a founding principal of Montgomery Sisam Architects, whose commitment to design excellence and sustainability is rooted in the belief that buildings must play a dignified and lasting role for their occupants and the wider community. The firm has developed a reputation for design leadership that is supported by numerous provincial, national and international design awards including the 2011 RAIC firm award.
David has had a particular focus on a more holistic view of health, both in terms of building design and within the broader urban environment. He led the firm’s pioneering work to change the paradigm of long-term care homes from an institutional medical model to a more residential model focused on the quality of life for the residents. He has also led the design of a number of non-health-related projects, including the Humber River Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge, the UTSC Arts Administration Building and the Toronto Botanical Garden.
An assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Architecture from 1972-1983, David has been a visiting instructor at Dalhousie University in Halifax and a visiting critic at the University of Waterloo, Ryerson University and SUNY Buffalo. David was named a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1998; and in 2009, he was honoured with the Arbor Award for outstanding volunteer service at the University of Toronto. He currently sits on the City of Toronto Design Review Panel and is on the Executive of the Toronto Society of Architects.
Manon Asselin,
B.Sc., B.Arch. Post Prof. M. Arch, MOAQ, MRAIC
Along with her partner Katsuhiro Yamazaki, Manon Asselin formed the architectural design practice Atelier TAG in 1997. Since its inception, the studio has sought to create meaningful spaces by reinterpreting the civic function of architecture through the careful study of the sociocultural contexts within which a given program operates. TAG’s growing body of work has allowed it to develop a design methodology focused on advanced building technology and materiality. The work of the studio is a quest for simplicity, where the built space, through the calculated play of light and materiality, embodies the physical, the cultural and the poetics of architecture. The office’s output has been rewarded for its design excellence, including three Governor General’s medals, the prestigious Prix de Rome in architecture by the Canada Council for the Arts and the 2012 Emerging Voices award from the Architectural League of New York.
A professor at University of Montreal since 2008, Manon oversees core design studios and lectures on materiality, culture and constructive imaginaries. She was the 2012 Gerald Sheff visiting professor at McGill University. Manon has lectured on Atelier TAG’s built work and participated in numerous national symposia. She is a current member of the Jacques-Viger Design Review Committee for the city of Montreal. She has also served on numerous international, national and local design juries as an advocate for design excellence, including at the Canada Council for the Arts.
For more information on the 2016 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence, please visit https://www.canadianarchitect.com/awards/
To submit your entry, please visit https://www.canadianarchitect.com/2016-awards-excellence/
To view the winners of the 2015 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence, please visit https://www.canadianarchitect.com/awards/2015-winners/