The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has announced the recipients of the 2026 RAIC Architectural Practice Award, the RAIC Emerging Architectural Practice Award, and the RAIC International Prize.
From a Toronto firm whose seven-decade legacy continues to evolve with boldness and craft, to a Vancouver studio redefining what community-centred practice can look like, to a London-based not-for-profit challenging the very foundations of how we build — this year’s recipients reflect the breadth and depth of architecture’s power to shape a more equitable, sustainable, and beautiful world.
RAIC Architectural Practice Award Recipient
Moriyama Teshima Architects
Founded in Toronto in 1958, Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) has shaped Canada’s cultural and civic landscape for over 60 years, with landmark projects including the Canadian War Museum, the Ontario Science Centre, and the Toronto Reference Library.
“We are deeply grateful for this recognition from our peers and from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada,” said a spokesperson for the firm. “We carry a legacy of bold, passionate design from our founders, and we’re honoured to be recognized today, not for where we’ve come from, but for who we are now: a collective that continues to evolve and continues to push boundaries with courage in the pursuit of a more balanced and beautiful future.”
RAIC Emerging Practice Award Recipient
MOTIV Architects Inc.
Founded in Vancouver in 2017, MOTIV Architects is a people-centred studio working at the intersection of housing, innovative learning spaces, and food security. Certified as a B Corporation, the firm brings a strong ethical foundation to every project — making design accessible, community-rooted, and deeply responsive to the people it serves.
“This award is an incredible validation of our work in making design accessible, responsive and relevant in a world that needs design now more than it ever has,” said the firm.
RAIC International Prize Recipient
Material Cultures
Material Cultures is a London-based not-for-profit design and research organisation working to advance regenerative, socially just land and building systems. Through design practice, applied research, and education, they champion low-carbon, bio-based construction as a model for the future of the built environment.
“We are delighted to be recognised by the RAIC for our intersectional work on regenerative and socially just land and building systems. We are grateful to work alongside incredible collaborators, with whom we continue to discover new models of transformation.”
