The Toronto firm of Shim-Sutcliffe took three prizes Tuesday among the dozen Governor-General's Medals in Architecture announced for 2010.
"The Canadian architects we are honouring have the gift of designing not only buildings, places and monuments, but living spaces that give soul to our cities, villages and communities," Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean said in announcing the awards.
"The projects recognized this year are unique in their ability to blend the conceptual and the technical to bring together truly inspired contemporary Canadian architecture," added Randy Dhar, president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
All the projects honoured were located in Ontario or Quebec. The awards, to be presented at a later date, are handed out in conjunction with the Canada Council for the Arts.
The 12 projects and the firms responsible are:
- Corkin Gallery (Toronto) - Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
- Craven Road Studio (Toronto) - Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
- French River Visitor Centre (Alban, Ont.) - Baird Sampson Neuert Architects.
- La Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec (Montreal) - Patkau / Croft Pelletier / Menkes Shooner Dagenais architectes associes.
- Photographer's Studio over a Boat House (Stoney Lake, Ont.) - gh3.
- Prefab Cottage for Two Families (Muskoka, Ont.) - Kohn Shnier Architects.
- Private Residence and Guesthouse (Laurentians, Que. - Saucier + Perrotte architectes.
- Promenade Samuel-De Champlain (Quebec City) - DAOUST LESTAGE inc. architecture design urbain.
- Ravine Guest House (Toronto) - Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc.
- Royal Conservatory of Music, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning (Toronto) - Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects.
- Scandinave Les Bains Vieux-Montreal (Montreal) - Saucier + Perrotte architectes
- St-Germain Egouts et Aqueducs, siege social et entreposage (St-Hubert, Que.) - Allaire Courchesne Dupuis Frappier, architectes.