2025 AIA International Design Awards. Excellence Architecture Award: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Headquarters, Bucholz McEvoy Architects and ZAS Architects. Image Credit: Michael Moran
Annual AIA Canada Design Awards 2025 – Winners Announced
The AIA Canada Design Awards recognize best practices, innovative thinking, and design excellence in the work of AIA Canada members. This annual program highlights projects that embody innovation, resilience, equity and beauty, and celebrates architecture that shaped Canada’s future.
This year, we are honoured to welcome an outstanding jury panel from across the country – Vivian Manasc, AOE, LLD (Hon) Architect AAA, MBA, PP/FRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, Principal of Reimagine Architects, Ian Chodikoff, M.Arch, MAUD, OAA, FRAIC, Architect and Founder of Chodikoff & Ideas, and Avery Guthrie, M.A., M. Arch, Architect AIBC, OAA, MRAIC, Intl. Assoc. AIA, Principal of Teeple Architects.
A total of 11 projects were selected to take home the prizes of Excellence, Merit Awards, Citations, and Honorable Mentions. The winners were announced at the Annual General Meeting, held virtually on 26 November 2025. See the winning entries at aiacanadasociety.org.
AIA Canada Collaboration
AIA Canada continued to strengthen its presence through strategic partnerships, serving as a collaborating organization for both the Council on Vertical Urbanism International Conference (6–8 October 2025, Toronto) and the Canadian Institute's 9th Annual Forum on First Nations Housing & Infrastructure East (3–4 December 2025, Toronto).
Board members Dora Ng and Pauline Thimm represented AIA Canada as speakers, sharing their expertise and contributing to knowledge exchange, professional development, and meaningful engagement among participants at both events.
AIA Canada x RIBA Holiday Celebration in Toronto – 4 December 2025
AIA Canada, in collaboration with RIBA, organized a Dickens-themed holiday celebration on 4 December 2025. The event welcomed over fifty guests from both architectural organizations to honour the recipients of the AIA Canada Design Awards 2025.
Attendees appreciated the inviting ambiance at the Duke of York pub and enjoyed traditional British refreshments, including mulled wine. The evening’s program included a lively trivia session focused on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, along with questions about Canadian and UK architecture of the 1850s. This engaging activity fostered camaraderie among attendees and celebrated the shared heritage and innovation in architectural practice across both nations.
As the year draws to a close, AIA Canada extends its gratitude to all members, partners, and collaborators who have contributed to another year of meaningful dialogue, successful events, and design excellence. We look forward to building on this momentum in 2026 and continuing to champion architecture that enriches communities across Canada and beyond.
Dora Ng, OAA, AIA, PMP, SAA, AAA, AANB, NLAA
AIA Canada Society Chapter Director, AIA International
