RAIC names KANVA recipient of 2015 Emerging Architectural Practice Award
A Montreal multi-disciplinary firm that experiments with materials and building methods is the recipient of the given by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). Founded in 2003, is a 10-person collective led by Tudor Radulescu, MRAIC (B.Sc.Arch. 1998, M.Arch. 2001), and Rami Bebawi, MRAIC (B.Sc.Arch. 1999, M.Arch. 2001). 鈥淭his is a firm that is always looking to the future,鈥� said the five-member jury that selected KANVA for the broad range and high quality of its projects. 鈥淭he firm is continually and consistently innovative,鈥� said the jury members. 鈥淭heir work has a strong experimental quality. It demonstrates experience and knowledge of construction detail and quality.鈥澛� The award will be presented at a ceremony at the RAIC/AAA Festival of Architecture, which takes place in Calgary June 3 to 6.
Recently, KANVA won the 2015 Warming Huts competition in Winnipeg with an installation called Recycling Words. It was also co-winner of the international Space for Life architecture competition to re-imagine the Montreal Biodome, a museum of the environment.
The Emerging Architectural Practice Award recognizes the principals of an emerging architectural practice that has consistently produced distinguished architecture. The award recognizes the quality of built work, service to clients, innovations in practice and public recognition. 鈥淭he kind of work we see coming out of firms who win an Emerging Architectural Practice Award exhibits ability to innovate successfully and manage risk,鈥� said RAIC President Sam Oboh, FRAIC. 鈥淏eing innovative and evolving the scope of and approach to contemporary architectural practice in Canada is to be celebrated and recognized,鈥� said Mr. Oboh.
At the Edison Residence, a student residence in a heritage district, KANVA experimented with photo engraving on concrete to create an unusual fa莽ade. It features stills from Thomas Edison鈥檚 1901 film Montreal Fire Department on Runners, alluding to the 19th century building that formerly occupied the site before it burnt down in a fire. Entre Les Rangs, the firm鈥檚 winning entry for the 2013 Luminotherapy international competition in Montreal, referenced Quebec鈥檚 wheat fields in an installation comprised of thousands of flexible stems topped with white reflectors. KANVA acts as an experimental laboratory for the advancement of building practices and material innovation, often building full-size mock-ups of one-off construction details. The firm has received a number of awards, among them a 2013 RAIC Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture, multiple Grands Prix du Design, and an Illuminating Engineering Society Award. KANVA鈥檚 projects have been featured in international publications, including the New York Times, Phaidon Atlas and Architecture Mouvement Continuit茅. The principals act as mentors for the Order of Architects of Quebec, guest critics at 六合彩开奖结果 and the University of Montreal and Master鈥檚 level thesis advisors. They were selected by the Quebec government to be mentors in the program Models Without Borders, connecting youth who are new to Canada with inspiring members of the community.
The jury was made up of: Peter Busby, FRAIC (Past Gold Medalist, San-Francisco-based architect), Paule Boutin, AP/FIRAC (Past President of the RAIC and Montreal architect), Tyler Sharp, MRAIC (Past Recipient of the RAIC Young Architect Award and Toronto architect), Siamak Hariri, FRAIC (Toronto architect), and Martin Houle, MIRAC (founder of Kollectif.net and Montreal architect).
鈥淲e are profoundly grateful to be the recipients of such an important national award,鈥� Mr. Radulescu and Mr. Bebawi said in a statement. 鈥淚f emergence means the capacity to push professional boundaries, ask critical questions and continually seek out opportunities for innovation and quality, then KANVA hopes always to be undergoing a process of emergence.鈥�
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