RAIC Gold Medal 2025 Recipients

Established as Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in 1987, KPMB Architects introduced a studio model that stood out for its ethnic and gender diversity —unconventional among North American architectural practices at the time. This diversity continues to be one of the signature strengths of KPMB, reflecting its identity as a Canadian practice. However, it is also the thoughtful calibration of heterogeneous influences with rigorous design quality that distinguishes the practice.
 

With Bruce Kuwabara, Marianne McKenna, and Shirley Blumberg still practicing as founding partners, the firm has become one of Canada's most internationally recognized architectural practices. To date, the firm’s projects have earned hundreds of global awards, including 18 Governor General's Medals in Architecture, recognizing design excellence, sustainable practices, and commitment to building community.  
 

“Together, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg represent the pinnacle of architectural practice in Canada. Their unwavering dedication to innovative design, community engagement, and social equity not only enriches the profession but also serves as a source of inspiration for countless architects and designers,” writes Omar Gandhi. 
 

Born and raised in Montreal, Marianne McKenna was educated at Swarthmore College and Yale University, earning a Master of Architecture in 1976. She joined Barton Myers Associates in 1980, before co-founding Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects. Since then, McKenna has been partner-in-charge of a multitude of projects for major cultural and educational institutions, as well as corporate and commercial clients in Canada and the United States. Her particular focus is on blending community building, sustainability, tradition, and innovation, and designing for the most positive impact on the urban and natural environment.
 

McKenna is a steadfast advocate of architecture in service of community. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, awarded for her contribution to creating "architecture that enriches the public experience." She has designed and directed a diverse range of internationally acclaimed projects across the sectors of culture, business, education, hospitality, and science. She was celebrated in a list of 30 ‘outstanding women in architecture and design’ by Azure magazine, and in 2021, she was the first woman to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Design Futures Council.

The architecture of concert halls is one of McKenna’s particular areas of focus, recognizing the power of music to both inspire and build community. Her most internationally recognized project, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, the home to Koerner Hall, has been referred to as the ‘jewel in the crown of Toronto’s Cultural Renaissance’. The Hall has garnered numerous awards including a Governor General’s Medal for Architecture. For her dedication to this project, McKenna was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Conservatory.
 

McKenna’s educational projects for science, engineering, and liberal arts programs include the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre, and Le Quartier Concordia in downtown Montreal. She also led the design of a new building for The Brearley School, a vertical campus for academics, performance, and science in New York City.
 

“Her sophisticated approach and steadfast commitment to meaningful, regenerative architectural solutions have inspired and mentored generations of emerging architects,” writes Renee Daoust, “Her practice is distinguished by a holistic vision that integrates city-building with cutting-edge, sustainable design, all aimed at fostering communities.”

Recently, McKenna led the heritage restoration and transformation of Massey Hall, a national historic site and legendary performance venue. Currently, McKenna leads Kindred Works, a national multi-residential portfolio re-imagining rental housing in Canada.
 

McKenna has served on numerous juries in Canada and the United States for such organizations as the American Institute of Architects, the Toronto Urban Design Awards, and the Toronto Arts Foundation. McKenna was the Norman R. Foster Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Architecture in 2016. She served for six years on the board of Metrolinx, Ontario’s public transportation agency, during a period of expansion.
 

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Shirley Blumberg immigrated to Canada in 1974, following a year in London, England. She completed her architectural studies at the University of Toronto and joined Barton Myers Associates in 1977, before co-founding Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects. In 2018, CNN named Blumberg one of the top five women in world architecture. She has designed many of the firm’s noteworthy and award-winning projects, which range in scale from interiors to architecture and planning. 
 

Her academic projects include the Julis Romo Rabinowitz and Louis A. Simpson International Building at Princeton University, the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre and Ponderosa Commons student resident complex, both at the University of British Columbia and the Centre for International Governance Innovation Campus in Waterloo Ontario, the latter which received an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award, a Royal Institute of British Architects International (RIBA) International Award, and Canada’s Governor General’s Medal.
 

Her cultural and community projects include Ottawa’s Global Centre for Pluralism for the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada, the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, Toronto’s Fort York Public Library, and currently, the competition-winning Montreal Holocaust Museum. 
 

Social justice projects have also been a focus of her practice. She has designed affordable housing projects for Toronto Community Housing Corporation and affordable student housing at the University of British Columbia. She continues to work on intensifying suburban neighbourhoods with affordable midrise housing.
 

“Shirley is also rare among architects for her fearless principled advocacy and use of her talents and knowledge again pro bono where the public interest is challenged and her values lead her into the fray,” writes Ken Greenberg.
 

Inspired by her Order of Canada and the recognition – they desire a better country – Blumberg began a conversation with like-minded colleagues and initiated the establishment of BEAT – Building Equality in Architecture Toronto – a grassroots initiative to promote equality for women and minorities in the profession; today there are chapters across Canada. In 2024, BEAT received the RAIC Advocate for Architecture award. She has also led the firm’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative, now a framework for policy and practice at KPMB.
 

Blumberg has served on numerous juries and design panels, including the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing Corporation. She has served as a juror for the annual World Architecture Festival and has lectured at several universities in Canada, the United States, and Europe. She was an invited participant in the Canadian Centre of Architecture’s residency program and has delivered lectures for Australia’s Design Speaks, the Patronage of the Order of Architects P.P.C. of the Province of Milan, and the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. 
 

“In their work, Marianne and Shirley have created lasting value, sparked vibrant conversations, and formed juxtapositions between new and existing buildings,” writes Bruce Kuwabara, “They have each shaped the trajectory of our practice and profoundly influenced the architectural landscape in Canada and beyond.”