Photo © Larry Williams

The Photographer's Studio over a Boat House in Stoney Lake, Ont., designed by gh3, is a winner of this year's Governor General's Medals in Architecture.

The Governor General's Medals in Architecture have been given to outstanding Canadian designs of recently built projects that bring architectural awareness as a cultural force in society.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts chose winning projects that contribute to the development of the discipline and practice of architecture, as well as increase public awareness. The projects were also judged on the basis of conceptual clarity, compatibility with the site, innovation and uniqueness, sustainable design, and detailing.

Winning projects include:
• Corkin Gallery (Toronto)—Shim-Sutcliffe Architects;
• French River Visitor Centre (Alban, Ont.)—Baird Sampson Neuert Architects;
• La Grande Bibliothèque du Québec (Montreal)—Patkau/Croft Pelletier/Menkès Shooner Dagenais architectes associés;
• Photographer's Studio over a Boat House (Stoney Lake, Ont.)—gh3; and
• Private Residence and Guesthouse (Laurentians, Que.)—Saucier + Perrotte architectes.

"The 2010 winners of the Governor General's medals demonstrate the positive impact that architecture can have on the quality of our communities by revitalizing heritage buildings and creating new structures that mirror their surroundings," said Joseph L. Rotman, Canada Council chair. "These projects have demonstrated how architecture is art which is integrated in a unique way into society and how buildings can be more than wood and bricks; they can be works of artistic invention to be studied and enjoyed."

For more information and a list of the winning projects, visit www.raic.org.