The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors and the Association of Collegiate Schools for Architecture (ACSA) has selected George Baird, Intl. Assoc. AIA recipient of the 2012 AIA/ACSA Topaz Award for excellence in architectural education. Baird is known for his extensive association with the University of Toronto’s architecture school and for being one of Canada’s most celebrated architects. His award-winning firm Baird Sampson Neuert was founded in Toronto in 1972.
The AIA credited Baird with “having helped a new generation of architects find a place at the intersection of architectural form and urban functions. He did this by engaging disciplines beyond architecture and fearlessly exploring the political implications of city-making to articulate architects’ social responsibilities. Baird’s deep influence is evident in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, but also through his prolific writing career and the many students inspired by his example who have gone on to teach and practice.”
Baird will receive his award at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) annual meeting in Boston in March. The AIA will also recognize him at the 2012 AIA National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, D.C., in May.
Baird Sampson Neuert projects featured on ArchDaily:
- Wells Public School in Toronto
- Cornell Plantations Welcome Center in New York
- Old Post Office Plaza in downtown St. Louis
- French River Visitor Centre in Ontario, Canada
Reference: AIA
