Every member of the RAIC plays a role in creating a better and more sustainable world for all. Together, we advocate for critical issues such as climate action/justice, truth and reconciliation, equity and justice, and fees and procurement. Renew your membership for 2024 and be part of the change that empowers and strengthens the architectural community to drive meaningful impact.

Renew online using a credit card or select the cheque option to be emailed an invoice. For assistance with login or questions about your membership, please contact membership@raic.org or 1-844-856-7242 ext 2000.   

In honour of International Day of People with Disabilities, the RAIC in collaboration with  Rick Hansen Foundation is hosting a webinar. 

DATE: December 4, 2023 
TIME: 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET 
SPEAKER: Darryl Condon, Architect AIBC, AAA, SAA, OAA, NLAA, RIBA, AIA, FRAIC 
COST: Free for RAIC members; Others $15.00 
TOPIC: Removing Barriers: The Cost to Retrofit Existing Buildings to Ensure Meaningful Access. 

Nearly half of Canadian adults have a permanent or temporary physical disability or live with someone who does – a trend that’s only expected to grow as the population ages. Despite an increasing awareness of these issues and efforts to remove barriers in new construction, many existing buildings remain inaccessible. 

Join Darryl Condon, Managing Partner of hcma architecture + design, as he shares key data from a new study that investigated the cost of retrofitting existing buildings to achieve Gold-level certification with the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program. 

Darryl will make the case that ensuring meaningful accessibility through retrofits and upgrades is not as difficult – or costly – as one might think. With thoughtful planning, the right attitude, and a few simple strategies for success, he’ll show how building designers, owners, and operators can ensure a more inclusive future for as many people as possible. 

Whether you are looking for the first step or the next level in your career, the RAIC Job Board has something for you. It’s a key resource for opportunities in architecture, design, and related fields, shared by the top firms across Canada. 

Check out a few of the recent positions posted:

• Senior Interior Designer - DMC Recruitment
• Senior Architect - J.L.Richards & Associates Limited
• Architect - Station One Architects
• Intermediate Architect – Health Care - DYS Architecture 
• Student Intern Architect - SHAPE Architecture Inc.

Discover possibilities that inspire you, connect with employers, and make your next move in the profession - take a look at the RAIC Job Board today! 

Being part of the RAIC means belonging to a community of passionate architecture professionals who are dedicated to building a brighter future for the industry in Canada. 

As a member, you'll gain instant access to exclusive resources, online and in-person networking opportunities, and discounts on continuing education and other essential products and services. 

If you have any questions, please contact our membership team at membership@raic.org or 613-241-3600 ext. 2000. 

Read the November 2023 edition of the RAIC Journal, published by Canadian Architect.

Articles include:

• Benchmarking Success
• Why Raymond Moriyama Matters
• John Di Castri, Architect: A Retrospective

The RAIC opened its call for submissions for its annual awards. The Architectural Practice Award, the Emerging Architectural Practice Award, the RAIC Advocate for Architecture Award, the RAIC Architectural Journalism and Media Award and the RAIC Research & Innovation in Architecture Award are all accepting submissions. These awards will also be accompanied by a call for nominations for Honorary Membership.  

The RAIC annual awards are a celebration of creativity, innovation, and excellence in Canadian architecture. The awards highlight work that challenges us and changes our built environment for the better, showing the value of architecture and its positive impact on our lives. If you know of a person, project, or practice that demonstrates these qualities, the RAIC annual awards are an opportunity for them to gain national recognition. 

The deadline for submission for all 2024 annual awards is 10:00 p.m. ET on January 11, 2024. Applicants must submit their work through the online RAIC awards platform.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts invite architects to submit projects for the 2024 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. 

Presented every two years, up to 12 medals are awarded to celebrate outstanding design in recently completed built projects – big or small – by Canadian architects. The 2024 program, updated this season to reflect the critical values of both organizations, continues a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals in 1950. It provides an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture and the regional, cultural and historic forces expressed in the built environment. 

The 2024 submission fees have been reduced as part of the RAIC’s commitment to greater inclusivity. For more pricing and updated submission details, please refer to the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture call for submissions.  

The deadline to submit a project for consideration is December 7, 2023, at 10:00 p.m. ET. Applicants must submit their work through the online RAIC awards platform.  

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) are pleased to announce that submissions are being accepted for the 2024 National Urban Design Awards. 

The National Urban Design Awards are awarded every two years and recognize the important link between architects, planners, and landscape architects in achieving successful urban design. They strive to raise awareness of the crucial role that urban design plays in maintaining and improving the quality of life in Canadian cities and acknowledge the efforts of individuals, organizations, firms, and projects in this field. 

Beginning this year, up to 12 submissions will be selected from any of the six categories specified. To learn about the updated Terms of Reference, eligibility, and submission requirements, as well as past recipients, please visit the following links:  

• National Urban Design Awards 
• Call for Submissions 

The 2024 submission fees have been reduced as part of our commitment to greater inclusivity. For more pricing and updated submission details, please refer to the NUDA call for submissions.    

The deadline to submit a project for consideration is January 11, 2024, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

To learn more about each opportunity, and review eligibility and submission requirements, please go to the RAIC Scholarships and Bursaries webpage, and see the following:  

For students: 

• Vince Catalli Scholarship in Sustainable Design Innovation *- $5,000 
• Canada Green Building Council Scholarship for Sustainable Design and Research * - $5,000
• The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto Foundation’s Award for Architectural Conservation - $1,000
• Kiyoshi Matsuzaki Scholarship (for RAIC Syllabus students only) - $3,000 

For Interns/ Intern Architects/ Architects: 

• RAIC Foundation Bursary - $2,500
• College of Fellows Centennial Fund for Interns/Intern Architects - $5,000 

Deadline for the Canada Green Building Council Scholarship for Sustainable Design and Research, the RAIC Foundation Bursary and the College of Fellows Centennial Fund for Interns/Intern Architects is February 26, 2024. 

Deadline for the Vince Catalli Scholarship in Sustainable Design Innovation, The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto Foundation’s Award for Architectural Conservation and the Kiyoshi Matsuzaki Scholarship is April 26, 2024. 

* Submissions for these awards are limited to one or two for each accredited school. Schools will select student(s) to apply.  

ON DEMAND SESSIONS

• Resilient Buildings Are Sustainable and Protect Life 

• A Bottom-Up Approach to a Healthier City 

• NBCC Part 3 & 9 Bundle

• RAIC 2023 Conference on Architecture is now On Demand!

• The Sum of all Parts: Disability Culture as a key component of Inclusive Design

• Introduction to the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada - Free for everyone!

Are you interested in supporting the RAIC in achieving its purpose of creating a better world for all by empowering Canada’s architectural community?  

We invite RAIC members to submit expressions of interest to join one of the following working groups: 

• Professional Practice 
• Continuing Education 
• Fees and Procurement 
• Long Term Care Design 
• Promoting Equity and Justice Advisory Committee
• Truth and Reconciliation Task Force
• Membership Committee (NEW)

Learn more and apply today.  

Deadline to submit extended – December 8, 2023.

We're excited to share that a new version of The Path: Your Journey Through Indigenous Canada has been launched.  

Since its creation in 2017, this powerful online course has been highly regarded for its impact in helping members gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and their relationship with the land.  

The updated course features 25% more content and an enhanced interactive format with plenty of engagement opportunities and new material, including lessons on land acknowledgements, unmarked graves, 'pretendians', urban Indigenous realities, and Canada's UNDRIP Act. 

This platform provides multiple learning resources including videos, texts, exercises, and assessment questions. It uniquely covers all three Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, and is accessible in English and French (available starting December 4). 

The course is on-demand and takes approximately 6 hours to complete with a certificate provided upon successful completion. 

Past participants are not expected to re-register if they have completed the course.  

Sign up today and learn how to create a more culturally safe sector!  

P.S. - Have unanswered questions? Find answers by visiting our Q&A page.

SAVE THE DATE - NOVEMBER 30

• TIME: 12:00 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. PT
• COST: $15.00 members; $25.00 non-members
• SPEAKERS: Graeme Verhulst, Founder, Passive House Accelerator & Dallas Hordichuk, Chief Operating Officer of Energy Code Solutions
• TOPIC: Is the Greenest House the One Already Built?  Real Life Case Studies 
• LENGTH: 1.5 hours 

This webinar has been approved for 1.5 AIBC Core LU.

Description: 

The oft-heard phrase, “the greenest home is the one already built,” emphasizes the importance of embodied over operational carbon. To adequately combat climate change, we must consider both operational carbon emissions together with embodied carbon in buildings. Two of their recent projects offered a unique opportunity to analyze the data. The question Waymark Architecture and Energy Code Solutions focused on is whether, using overall embodied carbon (embodied plus operational) as a measurement, we should keep the existing homes as they are, renovate them, or deconstruct them and replace them with high-performance homes, enabling us to make data-driven decisions for a low-carbon future. 

Registration will close November 28th @ 5pm ET.

We're pleased to continue our partnership with NBS, offering RAIC members discounted access to NBS Chorus. This web-based software simplifies specification writing, organization, and collaboration, reducing errors and omissions compared to traditional Word documents.

NBS Chorus purchases through the RAIC store include all National Master Specification (NMS) content libraries in both English and French (DDN). Additionally, Word document purchases over $1500 through RAIC now come with a complimentary NBS Chorus license.

Curious? Visit the NBS website for more info or to express your interest in a demonstration NBS website.

Welch LLP is a CPA firm that provides a full range of accounting, assurance, tax, advisory, and specialty services.

Welch delivers a relationship-driven approach to client service. Our extensive experience in the architectural industry allows us to identify issues and develop solutions with ease. Dedicated to the Architectural Community in Canada, Welch supports the activities of our clients including:

• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Foundation
• Canadian Architectural Certification Board
• Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

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