2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is pleased to begin accepting submissions for the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize.

The Prize, which was established in 2014 by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyamaalong with the RAIC and the RAIC Foundation, consists of a monetary award of CAD $100,000 and a handcrafted sculpture designed by Canadian designer Wei Yew. The Prize celebrates a single work of architecture that is judged to be transformative within its societal context and reflects Moriyama's conviction that great architecture transforms society by promoting social justice and humanistic values of respect and inclusiveness.

The Prize, awarded every two years, is open to all architects, irrespective of nationality and location. Any architect, team of architects, or architect-led collaboration is invited to submit a building or a related group of buildings that has been completed, occupied and in use for at least two years prior to the entry deadline. Candidates are limited to a single submission per award cycle.

The winner is selected in an open, juried competition. An international jury of experts will consider a range of criteria in the evaluation of submissions and intends to include site visits to shortlisted projects in the search for a work of architecture that is inspired as well as inspiring.

In 2014, the inaugural winner of the Moriyama RAIC International Prize was Li Xiaodong, of China.

"Winning this award has brought me honor, international recognition and greater credibility and support for my approach to architecture," says Li, who will sit on the 2017 jury.

"It's a very important Prize for me because it encourages meaningful ideas and is one of the few international Prizes that sends jury members to visit the finalist buildings," says Li. "The definition of the Prize is also very special: how one single project can contribute to the human environment. The architectural culture of Canada is positive and eager to make a difference," he adds. "I'm excited to take part in the jury and thank the RAIC for this opportunity."

The members of the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize jury are:

• Monica Adair, MRAIC: Co-founder of Acre Architects and 2015 Recipient of the RAIC Young Architect Award.
• Manon Asselin, MRAIC: Co-founder of Atelier TAG and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Montreal.
• Bryan Avery, MBE: Founder of Avery Associates Architects, London, England, author and lecturer.
• George Baird, FRAIC: Founding Principal of Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, Former Dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, and Recipient of the 2010 RAIC Gold Medal.
• Peter Cardew, FRAIC: Founder of Peter Cardew Architects, and Recipient of the 2012 RAIC Gold Medal.
• Barry Johns, FRAIC: Jury chair, Chancellor of the College of Fellows.
• Li Xiaodong: Winner of the inaugural Moriyama RAIC International Prize.

David Covo, FRAIC, Associate Professor of Architecture at McGill University, will act as the Professional Advisor to the jury.

RAIC is also pleased to announce that the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize winner will be invited to participate in the following edition's jury, thus establishing a link between participants, winners and jurors.

All submissions are due by March 8, 2017. The winner of the 2017 Prize will be announced on September 19, 2017 at a gala event in Toronto at The Carlu, an historic event space in Toronto and one of the city's best examples of Art Moderne architecture.

"The inaugural Moriyama RAIC International Prize was a great success," says Raymond Moriyama. "For this next cycle, we hope the Prize will attract an even greater number of outstanding submissions from architects and firms, nationally and worldwide. I look forward to an innovative, transformative architecture to not only win the Prize but awaken ideas and thoughts that will alter our collective aspiration for the future of humanity."

Barry Johns, trustee of the RAIC Foundation, comments, "The RAIC is grateful to Raymond Moriyama for his vision and his courage in establishing this Prize with RAIC; and we are extremely grateful for the significant financial commitments he has made to ensure the longevity of this award and its growing significance for RAIC, for the profession of architecture and for Canada."

"The RAIC wishes to see and celebrate work that embodies values that arise from the Canadian experience," notes RAIC 2016 President Allan Teramura, FRAIC "We believe that the conversation about architecture in Canada needs to include what our peers are doing around the globe. This Prize is particularly important to us in Canada because we wish to be there when the best architecture is discussed, wherever it might have been constructed."

In addition to the main CAD $100,000 Prize, three students of Canadian schools of architecture will each receive scholarships of CAD $5,000. They will be chosen on the basis of a written essay.

For more information on the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize and how to submit your application, please visit: https://moriyama.raic.org/.