Bing Thom Award

This award was established in memory of Bing Thom, FRAIC, (1940-2016) a Vancouver-based architect of international renown.  His cultural, educational and commercial work has benefited communities in major cities across Canada, as well as the United States, China and Spain. Over his career, Bing Thom was honored with many awards and accolades, notably being made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1995 and as the recipient of the RAIC Gold Medal in 2011. These awards are drawn from an endowment fund donated by the Bing Thom Foundation. 

 

 As an architect, Bing Thom’s values and beliefs were inspired by Henry Elder who, as Head of the UBC School of Architecture from 1962 – 1974, moved its focus from ‘the production of architects’ to ‘the understanding of architecture’. He firmly believed that "students should not lose sight of their real purpose in changing civilization."

 

Crediting Elder’s influence, Bing Thom later stated: “I feel that architecture really has the potential to transform communities… makes people realize that they’re bigger than they are, that they’re able to do more than they do.”  

 

The submission requirement for this award is a personal essay of approximately 800 words in response to the question: 

 

"Explain how a work of architecture can be transformative. Can you cite examples that demonstrate how the impact of a single building on a community can be transformative? Is every good building transformative on some level?"

Eligibility 
 

These awards are open to students registered in a Canadian School of Architecture, in the RAIC Syllabus program or in architecture programs at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
 

 

In 2025, an award of $3500 will be made to each of two winners. 


The call for submissions is currently OPEN until March 7, 2025 at 10:00 PM ET. Check it out to learn more and apply!


CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - OPEN

Terms of Reference

To learn more about the RAIC Foundation, go to their website: https://www.raicf.ca/en/