We are honoured to host Dr Bruce Kuwabara for the 2025 Frances K. Smith Lecture in Canadian Art. One of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture, Kuwabara plays a transformative role in shaping public and cultural spaces across Canada and beyond. Known for his collaborative approach to design, Kuwabara has worked on numerous award-winning projects, from cultural institutions to educational facilities and urban master plans, all grounded in a deep respect for place, culture and community. His design practice champions sustainability and harmonious integration of architecture within its environment. In this lecture, Kuwabara will share insights from his distinguished career spanning four decades, reflecting on innovative past projects and on the current Agnes Reimagined.

Biography

Bruce Kuwabara
O.C., OAA, FRAIC, AIA, RIBA

Bruce Kuwabara is a founding partner of KPMB Architects and the Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. In 2006, he was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal and in 2012 he was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada for shaping “our built landscape in lasting ways.” Bruce was lead design partner on 14 of KPMB’s 18 Governor General’s Award-winning projects.

His portfolio encompasses cultural, civic, educational, hospitality, and healthcare projects. Notable cultural work includes Canada’s National Ballet School, the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, and the Remai Modern art gallery in Saskatoon. Educational projects include the Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building and Louis A. Simpson International Building at Princeton University, and Isttaniokaksini / Science Commons at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta.

Bruce has long advocated the integration of sustainable building performance and aesthetics. Working on an integrated design team he designed Manitoba Hydro Place which is a global exemplar for high-performance, low-energy building design. He has worked on four LEED Platinum projects: Manitoba Hydro Place, the office building of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, Bay Adelaide East Tower, and the Kellogg School of Management.

Bruce has led teams for the Canadian Embassy in Berlin and leads interdisciplinary design teams to deliver large-scale neighbourhood projects. This work includes the Athlete’s Village for the Pan/Parapan Games in 2015 which is now the Canary District in Toronto and the Pier 8 waterfront development in Hamilton.

Recent projects include the Contemporary Calgary Art Gallery (Expansion and Renovation of the 1967 Centennial Planetarium), the Bay-Adelaide Centre North Tower for Brookfield, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the reimagining of Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University, the Center for Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University, and Odenak, an integrated community in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.

A strong advocate of Canadian architecture and architects, Bruce is a King Charles III Coronation Medalist and serves as a critic and guest lecturer at universities across North America, including the University of Toronto where he is a Co-Chair on the Design Review Committee.

Supported by the Frances K Smith Fund.