RAIC announces recipient of the 2021 Architectural Firm Award

The RAIC has announced MGA | Michael Green Architecture as the recipient of the RAIC 2021 Architectural Firm Award. The Award recognizes the achievements of a firm for its quality of architecture, service to clients, and innovations in practice. It also takes into account the firm’s contribution to architectural education and professional organizations, as well as public recognition.

Honoured with four Governor General’s Medals for Architecture and two RAIC Awards for Architectural Innovation, MGA | Michael Green Architecture is recognized for their sustainable architecture and developing carbon-neutral buildings with advanced wood construction.

The firm was founded in 2012 by Michael Green, who is known for his research, leadership, and expertise in the tall wood movement and building with timber products. Green’s work in mass timber construction is evident in both the firm’s practice and in academic theory, with Green authoring ‘The Case for Tall Wood Buildings’ and popularizing the phrase ‘mass timber.’ Michael continued to share his passion for the environment and the case for building with wood through his 2013 TED Talk, Why We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers.

In 2018, Natalie Telewiak became a Principal at MGA. With an education in architecture and engineering, Natalie brings an approach rooted in material logic. Together, Michael and Natalie run MGA from the office in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“MGA | Michael Green Architecture deserves recognition as a leading architectural firm because of their ability to consistently deliver leading-edge timber buildings, carefully designed to a high degree of aesthetics and performance. This firm shows its passion for innovation and sustainability through its many finely crafted wood buildings— and displays its commitment to education through the design-built studio held every year to expose young architects to the design and construction of actual structures,” says the jury.