R.A.I.C. Awards of Excellence : Information + Images

PAUL RAFF STUDIO Unprecedented winner of two R.A.I.C. Awards of Excellence leads trend toward a NEW integrity-based architecture. 11 Jun 2009 Architect Paul Raff, winner of BOTH the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Allied Arts Medal and an award for Innovation, defines the New Architecture as simple, cost-effective and exceptionally beautiful. On June 20 in Montreal during the R.A.I.C. Festival of Architecture, Paul Raff will be the first architect to receive both these awards. "That Raff has won both awards, is unique to the R.A.I.C. program, but this anticipates the future direction of outstanding works of architecture", commented Kathy Velikov, Architect, Professor, and Chair of the Canadian Green Building Council's Academic Committee. "We're integrating environmental performance, economy of means, and the artistry of architecture," says Raff. "None of these concerns are new, what is new is the thinking that achieves all three at the same time: the integrity." Raff was chosen as the Allied Arts medal winner for outstanding creative achievement in projects that inhabit the space between art and architecture, including his sculptural glass piece, Cascade, made from over 400 panels of inexpensive 19mm vertically stacked glass, as part of his multiple award-winning Cascade House, Toronto. The honourable mention for Innovation in Architecture was awarded for Paul Raff Studio's Louver Façade System: an exterior shading system made from local wood composite, designed to maximize views while reducing energy consumption. It can be adapted to virtually any new building. Paul Raff Studio Featured Projects Cascade House, Toronto, Canada image : Ben Rahn Cascade House Garden Pavillion, Toronto, Canada photograph : Steven Evans Garden Pavillion Toronto