August 14, 2008

By adhering to its values and mission, RAIC continues to ensure that architecture matters

Paule Boutin

President, RAIC

I consider it as quite an honour to be entrusted with the role of president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) for the coming year. As the leading voice of architecture in Canada, the RAIC has been doing great work, for just over a century, in building awareness and appreciation of the contribution of architecture to the physical and cultural well-being of Canada.

As new president, the goals I will be working towards in the coming year will be to make the RAIC as efficient as possible in continuing to fulfill its mission in today’s context, and to ensure that the RAIC delivers valuable services to its members.

In September 2007, the board of directors held a strategic planning session, during which we revisited the mission of the RAIC. It led to the following revised statement:

“The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is the leading voice of architecture in Canada. Our mission is to affirm that architecture matters, to celebrate the richness and diversity of architecture in Canada, and to support architects in achieving excellence.”

At the same session, we also took time to identify the values that we adhere to. They are:

•Integrity: the RAIC conducts all its affairs with the highest ethical and professional standards;

•Environmental responsibility: the RAIC actively promotes sustainable design and operates in the most environmentally sustainable manner possible;

•Inclusiveness: the RAIC brings together architecture students, intern architects, architects in practice, retired architects and professional architect associations in Canada;

•Effectiveness: the RAIC’s programs are established with clear and measurable objectives to bring benefits to members, enhance the profession of architecture and improve the quality of the built environment in Canada.

Through its awards programs, such as the RAIC Awards of Excellence, the Urban Design Awards, the RAIC Gold Medal and the Governor General’s Medals, the RAIC celebrates the richness and diversity of architecture in Canada.

Through its practice support services, such as the publication of the Canadian Handbook of Practice, the development of contract documents, and the development and delivery of Continued Education courses, the RAIC supports architects in achieving excellence.

Architecture matters, of course, because of the need for environmentally sustainable construction, which we are now becoming more and more acutely aware. The design and construction of buildings are rapidly evolving as we aim to reduce their ecological footprint and their energy consumption, and to create healthy indoor environments.

The RAIC has adopted the 2030 Challenge, with its goal of producing carbon-neutral buildings, and we have recently launched a Wiki site with information about how to achieve this.

Architecture matters because of the need for functional buildings, which positively support the human activities they shelter. Hospitals must be healing environments, schools must help the learning processes, public buildings must represent our democratic institutions, housing must be adapted to our lifestyles.

Architecture matters because, beyond the practical considerations of functionality and comfort, it can provide us with both useful and pleasant buildings and cities.

It’s not only the architecture of large commercial and institutional buildings that matters.

The architecture of each and every building matters, as even the smaller buildings play an important role as part of the environment we live in.

Architecture matters, immensely, because it is the means of creating beautiful living environments that lift the spirits and can be a source of joy in our daily lives.

Paule Boutin is president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and is an architect in private practice in Montreal. Her firm is Paule Boutin architecte.

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