2024 DESIGN AWARD WINNERS

The AIA Canada Awards program runs annually each fall to recognize best practices, innovative thinking, and design excellence in the work of AIA Canada members and future design professionals. The awards program includes the AIA Canada Student Architecture Awards consisting of a total scholarship of US $4,800 to celebrate students and recent graduates who have proven their dedication to the fields of Architecture, Interiors, Planning, Landscape and Urban Design. The student scholarship award is possible thanks to the joint scholarship program between AIA Canada and the American Institute of Architects. Winners will be published in the AIA Canada Society’s Journal, within the pages of Canadian Architect. One winner will be selected to participate in the 2025 AIA International Awards Program (AIAI).

The 2024 awards invited entries in the categories of Architecture, Community Engaged Design, Interior Architecture, Residential, Special Projects, Student, Unbuilt and Urban Design.

AIA Canada Society announced the winners at its Annual General Meeting on November 27, 2024.

Our jury consisted of leaders in the field, each with a unique perspective on innovation, sustainability, and creativity in architecture. Their collective expertise ensured that the 2024 Design Awards represents the very best in Canadian architecture.

Dr. Christine Bruckner | FAIA, HKIA, R.A., LEED® AP, BEAM PR, BREEAM AP, WELL AP Faculty, Reset Fellow

Adjunct Director | Past President | Sponsorship Director, AIA International

Director at M Moser Associates

Dr. Bruckner is an architect and sustainability consultant working to promote best practice and environmentally responsible, energy efficient design at all scales. A dedicated professional and Fellow of the Institute, she serves as the current Chair of the AIA International Committee Advisory Group (ICAG) and member of the interim Board for the new International Region.

As a founding member of AIA Hong Kong, Christine supports the Chapter in many roles: multi-term President AIA Hong Kong (2012, 2009-10); Vice President (2008); Director (2011) Technical Adjudication Advisor (2003 – present); Committee Chair and long-time member of Honors & Awards (2006) and Nominating Committees (2005, 2007, 2011); active with Programs development, Urban Design and waterfront initiatives; COTE and LEED events; Membership and International Region objectives. Christine has over 20 years experience practicing in the US, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong.

She holds a PhD in architecture and engineering from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s degree in architecture from Yale University, and a BA and Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rice University. She has also received accreditation as a LEED AP, leadership in energy and environmental design accredited professional, and the equivalent certification in Hong Kong as a BEAM Professional, certified in Building Environmental Assessment Method. Frequently serving as juror, advisor, university reviewer, organizer and speaker at workshops through out the Region she is primarily engaged as Director and co founder of Calexian – an energy efficiency solutions consultancy, and Principal of CEBruckner Consultants.

She has been recognized with global awards for excellence and leadership, recently receiving the Top 100 Women Who’s Who recognition and the AIA HK Distinguished Service Award among many. Christine devotes time to Scouts, Church and Community, most recently co-founding the Southside Glass Recycling Initiative to bring glass recycling to Southside HK. She continues in all she does to bring her design focus on sustainability, best practice and the public realm to the forefront, and to advocate for an improved built environment globally.

Carlo Parente, Founder and Principal Architect

OAA, AIA, NCARB

Carlo Parente is a licensed architect and educator who has designed projects in North America, Europe, and Asia. His community-focused work is guided by a holistic approach, which integrates performance-based design, new technologies, theory, and culture. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Architectural Science at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he teaches studios and core curriculum courses.

Carlo Parente Architecture Inc. is an emerging research-based design practice in Toronto founded by architect and educator Carlo Parente. The firm engages in architecture, interiors, and urban design. The exploration of oppositional forces (old versus new, rural versus urban, public versus private) is a theme that appears throughout its work. Through the design and the execution of projects — which act as vehicles to express ideas and apply theories — Carlo Parente Architecture has deepened its engagement with these opposing forces, finding connections between design, human experience, materials, place, and time.

Prior to establishing an independent practice, Parente was a senior designer at leading firms in Chicago and in his native Toronto. He has led the design process for small- and large-scale residential buildings, commercial office towers, master plans, and educational and community-based projects, among other project types. Parente sits on the executive board of the Chicago Architectural Club, where he formerly served as co-president.

Warren Schmidt, Principal, B+H Architects

MArch, BED, Architect AIBC, AAA, MRAIC, CPHD

Warren Schmidt is a strong proponent of great design and believes that this is best born through an approach that equally balances inspiration and response to context, with pragmatism and consideration of viability and practicality for people and communities.

An appropriate design response that encompasses these into a holistic strategy from the get-go is fundamental to his process, and is integral to fostering great design, both at the project level and beyond. For Warren, people and their needs come first; the inherent constraints are hidden opportunities that help clients and design teams find the right solution – project challenges lead to creative responses, which lead to thoughtful and considered design.

With more than twenty-five years of architectural experience across western Canada, Warren is widely recognized for his work in the commercial, residential, and institutional sectors with a portfolio of projects spanning diverse scales and complexities. His broad experience includes leading an extensive array of projects across typologies, with a focus on sustainable, high-performance buildings and Passive House design.

Warren has been consistently recognized by both clients and contractors for his ability to effortlessly communicate project objectives and see them through to completion. His passion for team growth, development and mentorship will foster and empower our next generation of architecture leadership within our Vancouver studio.

B+H is a member of the Surbana Jurong (SJ) Group, a global leader in urban solutions ranked 14th in the World Architecture 100 for 2024, with a presence in 40 countries.

The Winners Are: