Founded 1978 | ||
Key architects John PatkauPatricia PatkauGreg BoothroydDavid Shone Awards Governor General's MedalsBC Lieutenant Governor's AwardsCanadian Architect Awards of Excellence Founders Patricia Patkau, John Patkau | ||
Patkau Architects is an architecture firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a full-services firm currently practicing in Canada and the United States. The firm has established an international reputation for design excellence and has received numerous national and international architectural awards.
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Patkau Architects' work has been widely published, including three books dedicated to the firm’s work, numerous articles in professional journals and books, and their work has been featured in exhibitions around the world. Patkau Architects represented Canada at the Venice Biennale in 2006.
The firm's portfolio includes a wide range of project types and scales for a wide range of clients. Their projects include gallery installations, art galleries, private residences, libraries, schools, university buildings, and urban planning.
History
The firm was founded by spouses John Patkau and Patricia Patkau in Edmonton, Alberta in 1978. It was relocated to Vancouver in 1984. Michael Cunningham was the third principal from 1995 until departing the firm in 2010. As of 2014 the firm has a total staff of 21, including four principals: John Patkau, Patricia Patkau, Greg Boothroyd and David Shone.
Both Patricia Patkau and John Patkau are Fellows of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architects and of the Royal Institute of British Architects, members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art, and Members of the Order of Canada.
Design approach
The firm's work has been noted for drawing on the principles of modern architecture that is also inspired by the natural setting and traditions of Canada's West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. Their designs are known for their sculptural quality, multifaceted expression of material, and clear delineation of detail. Architectural historian-theorest Kenneth Frampton has described the firm's work as "very close to what I attempted to define in 1983 as Critical Regionalism."
Awards
The firm has been the recipient of at least one architectural design award per year In every year but three since 1981. These awards include 15 of the prestigious Governor General's Awards and Medals in Architecture, eight Architectural Institute of British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor's Awards, 13 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence, awards from the American Institute of Architects, Canadian Architect magazine, and various national and international design competitions.