2024 Emerging Architectural Practice Award | Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

2024 Emerging Architectural Practice Award

Peter Braithwaite Studio Ltd.
Halifax,
NS
Award Category: 
Emerging Architectural Practice Award

Since its establishment, Peter Braithwaite Studio (PBS) has explored alternative and novel approaches to project delivery that hold the sensitive integration of buildings within the natural environment as a fundamental guiding principle. Working as both the architectural team and the builders, the PBS team believes that dedication to craft and the act of making produces buildings that are both environmentally and culturally sustainable.

PBS’s interdisciplinary team share the common ambition of exploring the benefits found at the intersection of design and construction. Rather than approaching design as a preliminary phase that is later physically realized by a secondary team, PBS believes construction is the medium through which design ideas are expressed and solidified.

Their comprehensive team works collaboratively from the initial project concept to the completion of the final building which enables them to deliver environmentally sensitive buildings. This is accomplished by maintaining control over not only the project design but also the sequencing, methods, and logistics of construction. Their research suggests that great strides toward environmental sensitive built environments can be accomplished through rigorous construction protocols that integrate fundamental ecological principles.

Jury Comment(s): 

Peter Braithwaite Studio is becoming a leader in research and practice, with notable integration of PhD research.  

This young office has developed guiding principles to address the challenges of our time with a focus on preserving biodiversity and minimizing the destruction of ecosystems. Their work is impressive and beautifully executed, embodying the quality needed for the future of architecture in Canada. 

In his leadership of the practice, Braithwaite also understands the new challenges of the practice, namely sustainability, and the level of dedication necessary to formalize high-quality architecture from conceptualization to realization. His involvement in teaching and in the community also illustrates his continuous focus with advocating for architecture in Canada.

2024 Annual Awards Jury

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Back Bay Studio and Shops, Terence Bay, Nova Scotia

PHOTO: Julian Parkinson

Armstrong Cottage, Peterborough, Ontario

PHOTO: Peter Braithwaite

Lambkill Ridge, Terence Bay, Nova Scotia

PHOTO: Peter Braithwaite

Meet in the Middle House, Pictou, Nova Scotia

PHOTO: Ema Peter

The Sandbox, Bathurst, New Brunswick

PHOTO: Ema Peter

Seabright Residence, Seabright, Nova Scotia

PHOTO: Julian Parkinson