Call for entries – Governor General’s Medals in Architecture

From Construction Links Network

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts invite architects to participate in the competition for the 2020 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.

Awarded every two years, the 12 medals recognize and celebrate outstanding design in recently completed built projects – big or small – by Canadian architects.

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture are among this country’s most prestigious and coveted architectural awards. Recipients receive an exceptional opportunity to:

• celebrate achievement with their team and clients
• reach new markets
• attract new business and talent
• gain exposure across Canada and internationally

Submission deadline: December 6, 2019 at 12:00 a.m. ET. Applying is quick and easy with the RAIC’s new online submission platform. RAIC members receive a discount on the entry fee.

The call for submissions is open to all architects or team of architects who were the lead design architects. They must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, and licensed or registered with a Canadian provincial or territorial jurisdiction.

The RAIC, with the RAIC College of Fellows, is proud to organize and administer the competition. The Canada Council for the Arts selects and administers the peer assessment committee.

The 2020 jury members are: 

• Alison Brooks, Principal and Creative Director, Alison Brooks Architects, London, UK

• Johanna Hurme, FRAIC, Architect and Co-founder, 5468796 Architecture, Winnipeg, MB

• Renée Mailhot, MIRAC, Architect and Co-founder, La SHED architecture, Montreal, QC

• David Theodore, MRAIC, Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Health, and Computation at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, McGill University, Montreal, QC

• Isay Weinfeld, Head Architect, Isay Weinfeld Arquitetura, Sao Paulo, Brazil

The medals recognize excellence in the art of architecture. The jury will assess the architectural and artistic merit of the design, taking into consideration factors such:

• conceptual clarity
• innovation and uniqueness
• compatibility with the site
• sustainable design
• detailing

Eligible projects are those that were built in and outside of Canada and completed between January 1, 2012, and September 1, 2019.

The beautiful bronze medals, weighing 460 grams, have a new design that debuted in 2018.

See past recipients. 

About the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture

The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture, created by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, contribute to the development of the discipline and practice of architecture and increase public awareness of architecture as a vital cultural force in Canadian society. The objective is to recognize and celebrate outstanding design in recently completed built projects by Canadian architects. The 2020 competition continues a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals in 1950, providing an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture and the regional, cultural and historic forces expressed in the built environment.

About the RAIC

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is the leading voice for excellence in the built environment in Canada. Representing more than 5,000 members, the RAIC advocates for excellence, works to demonstrate how design enhances the quality of life and promotes responsible architecture in addressing important issues of society.

About the Canada Council for the Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Council champions and invests in artistic excellence through a broad range of grants, services, prizes and payments to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. Its work ensures that excellent, vibrant, and diverse art and literature engages Canadians, enriches their communities and reaches markets around the world. The Council also raises public awareness and appreciation of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities.