The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has announced Peter Busby – a pioneer of the sustainable architecture movement – as the 2014 recipient of the RAIC Gold Medal. The Gold Medal is the highest honour the RAIC can bestow. It recognizes a significant and lasting contribution to Canadian architecture. A five-member jury unanimously selected Busby, FRAIC, C.M., LEED® Fellow.
“Mr. Busby was awarded the RAIC Gold Medal for his pioneer efforts in bringing sustainable design and development to the forefront of the practice of architecture,” the jury wrote. “Through his ongoing efforts, the importance of a more responsible approach to building and urban development has become part of the mainstream of architectural practice and education.”
Until recently, Busby was based in Vancouver. His award-winning portfolio embodies his philosophy of social responsibility and commitment to sustainable design. It includes projects such as the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre in Vancouver, Dockside Green in Victoria, and the Vale Living with Lakes Center at Laurentian University in Sudbury.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this very prestigious award,” he says. “I share it with the many collaborators I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years on projects both in Canada and all over the globe.”
Since opening his Vancouver practice in 1984, Busby’s body of work has gained a reputation for design excellence and innovation, becoming a powerful catalyst in the growth of the green architecture movement in North America and abroad. After merging his firm with Perkins+Will in 2004, he became a driving force across the company stimulating its industry-leading sustainable design initiatives. In 2012, Peter relocated to be the Managing Director of Perkins+Will’s San Francisco office. He brings his focus on sustainable communities and regenerative design to all Perkins+Will’s West Coast offices, directing teams working on local and international projects. Busby’s dedication to design advocacy remains steadfast; he lectures frequently at academic institutions and professional engagements around the world.
“His pioneering work in sustainable design and his international influence in this regard has ensured a permanent place for Mr. Busby in Canadian architectural history, for both design and innovation,” the jury wrote.
Busby holds a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of British Columbia and a BA in political philosophy from the University of Toronto. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate in science from Ryerson University and in 2011 was named a Cascadia Fellow. In 2013, he was elevated to LEED Fellow, a designation of the US Green Building Council, which recognizes exceptional contributions to the green building community as well as significant achievements within a growing community of sustainable design professionals.
The Gold Medal will be presented at a ceremony at the RAIC Festival of Architecture which takes place in Winnipeg May 28 to 31, 2014.
The jury members were: Peter Cardew, FRAIC, a Vancouver architect and Past Gold Medallist; Yves Gosselin, AP/FIRAC, Past President of the RAIC and an urban design consultant in Ottawa; Maxime-Alexis Frappier, MIRAC, a Montreal architect and immediate past recipient of the RAIC’s Young Architect Award; Carol Kleinfeldt, FRAIC, a Toronto architect; and Dinu Bumbaru, Policy Director, Heritage Montreal.
For more information, please visit www.raic.org.