Uia Architecture & Children Golden Cubes Awards Nominees

For Immediate Release
March 15, 2023

OTTAWA March 15th, 2023 – The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is pleased to announce the nomination of Architecture Playshop and Dual Credit High School Architecture Bootcamp for submission to the international UIA Architecture & Children Golden Cubes Awards.

The Golden Cubes Awards (GCA) honour people and organizations that help children and young people develop a better understanding of architecture and the built environment. 

National entrants were invited to submit entries describing activities or products designed to teach children and young people, from pre-school up to and including the age of 18, about architectural design and the processes by which our environment is formed.

Audio-visual Media Award Category

Architecture Playshop submitted by Dr. Ipek Türeli, MRAIC, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, McGill University – Participating in Architecture Playshop, children learn about climate action through architecture and design. They learn that architecture is a field of ideas, not just one of buildings and construction. Through drawing and hands-on activities, they are introduced to the process through which architects design, and the tools through which architects speculate, namely, drawing, painting, making models. Working on group exercises, they learn to collaborate.  

Architecture Playshop addresses a critical gap in environmental justice education. Children will need the skills and knowledge to understand how architecture, climate change, and forced migration are connected in order to create positive outcomes in the future.

The jury commented: “This audio-visual media project explains in a pedagogically innovative and visually compelling way the complex interconnectedness between climate action and the built environment. Geared to young children, ages 4-9, the program uses a range of media to engage them in learning in a holistic way about the impact of the built environment on climate change and social equity. Issues of global impact are addressed from a multi-disciplinary perspective using entertaining, sophisticated and accessible animated videos. In addition to being truly transdisciplinary, the project is well-adapted to the intended audience and offers remarkable flexibility on many levels. Available in both English and French the course material is easily scalable and could form part of a regular curriculum in the early childhood years.”

Institution Award Category

Dual Credit High School Architecture Bootcamp submitted by Dr. Henry Tsang, FRAIC, Athabasca University RAIC Centre for Architecture in partnership with Edmonton Public Schools – In this intensive experiential learning-based architecture “bootcamp”, high school students are encouraged to participate in demonstrations and practical examples of architectural design. As a result, students gain exposure to potential educational and career pathways within the discipline of architecture. The activities and projects undertaken by the students involve several key learning elements: concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, reflective observation, individual project work, group design charrettes and critiques.

The jury commented: “This institutional program gives high school students a unique opportunity to develop a better understanding of architecture, while introducing them to architectural design in a collaborative and concrete way. It exposes them to the exploration of design through the use of two-dimensional drawings, models and photography. Student presentations followed by feedback from trained professionals simulate an interactive design studio. The enthusiasm of the student testimony seems to mirror the program’s broader positive impacts on young people and architecture as a discipline.”

For more information on the UIA Architecture & Children Golden Cubes Awards please visit their website.

About The RAIC 
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization dedicated to representing architects and architecture since 1907. The RAIC is the only national voice for excellence in the built environment in Canada focused on providing Canada’s architectural community with the tools, resources, and education to elevate their practice. The RAIC is committed to showcasing how design enhances quality of life, while advocating for important issues of society through responsible architecture. The RAIC’s purpose is to create a better world for all by empowering Canada’s architectural community. Through our work, the organization envisions a strong architectural community that is valued and empowered to create change. The RAIC’s national office is based in Ottawa with a growing federated chapter model. Current chapters and networks are based in British Columbia, Alberta, and Nova Scotia.