RAIC Award of Excellence to KANVA

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has given a 2013 Award of Excellence in the category Innovation in Architecture to KANVA Architecture Management R&D for their project Irène in Montreal.  KANVA was co-founded by Rami Bebawi (B.Sc.Arch. 1999, M.Arch. 2001) and Tudor Radulescu (B.Sc.Arch. 1998, M.Arch. 2001).

From the award citation: "The urban housing project, Irène, located in Montreal’s borough, St-Henri, brands the innovative exterior building envelope as the iconic persona of the project. The curtain protecting the three-storey addition floats above the existing two-storey brick structure and is created from customized perforated aluminum panel. Drawing an analogy with a theatrical curtain, the metal perforation acts equally to veil and to reveal the activity within, serving a performative function that adds a touch of spectacle to the neighbourhood. Irène substantiates the incorporation of a poetic concept in conjunction with a challenging technical innovation giving rise to a functional, viable and aesthetic project."

For full details, please see the RAIC webpage for this award.