Bruce Kuwabara is one of the most celebrated and influential architects in Canada, and a founding partner of the internationally recognized KPMB firm. His awards include being made an Officer of the Order of Canada, numerous Governor General’s Awards, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal, and other honours. He has designed public and private buildings across North America and Europe, such as Canada’s National Ballet School, Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, and buildings for Northwestern and Princeton Universities. He has held teaching positions at Harvard University, the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, and Cornell, and is a sought-after guest lecturer. Kuwabara is also active as a critic and a juror for architectural competitions and awards, and is the Chair of the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal and a Member of the Campaign Cabinet for the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.
Upon receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from McMaster University in his hometown of Hamilton, Kuwabara said, ‘I am dedicating this honorary degree to my parents – Mas and Esther Kuwabara – who along with 22,000 Japanese Canadians survived three years and nine months of internment as enemy aliens of Canada during the Second World War. For me, architecture is the vehicle through which I have discovered the world and my identity as a Canadian of Japanese ancestry. Architecture is ultimately an agent of change to make the world we want: a world of enriching landscapes and vibrant cities that support engagement, creativity, innovation, sustainability, understanding, pluralism, and wellness.’
