Designers of the Year: Our Top-Tier Architecture Judges

This year’s panel features architects from around the world.

A Norway-based Canadian architect whose work in Newfoundland made him an international star; a Seattle architect whose practice has set the standard for west coast modern design, and a Vancouver architect whose legendary practice has see buildings from Expo 86 to more recently, the design of Reigning Champ—these are this year’s architectural design panel for our Designers of the Year awards.

Todd Saunders

Canadian architect Todd Saunders founded in 1998. Saunders has lived and worked in Bergen since 1996, following his studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax and McGill University in Montreal. He continues to combine teaching with practice and has been a part-time teacher at the Bergen Architecture School since 2001. Saunders has lectured and taught at schools in Norway, Scandinavia, the UK and Canada and was a visiting professor at The University of Quebec in Montreal and Cornell University in the USA.

Jim Olson

As the founding partner of Olson Kundig, Jim Olson has explored the aesthetic interplay of art, nature and architecture, and the relationship of light, space and mood for over fifty years. Jim is the recipient of numerous honors including the Seattle AIA Medal of Honor and many national and international design awards. His work has been published worldwide and is the focus of four monographs: Jim Olson Houses (The Monacelli Press, 2009), Art + Architecture: The Ebsworth Collection and Residence (William Stout Publishers, 2006), Jim Olson: Art in Architecture (The Whatcom Museum, 2013), and Jim Olson: Building • Nature • Art (Thames & Hudson, 2018).Though best known for his houses, particularly for art collectors, Olson also designs museums. His recent work includes Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, the Jordan D. Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University, the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa in San José del Cabo, Mexico, and residences throughout the world.

Peter Cardew

Peter Cardew has been practicing architecture in Vancouver for 30 years.The work of the office emphasizes quality and innovation rather than any particular building type and has been recognized through numerous international awards and publications.Peter has also lectured on his work throughout Canada and the US, South America, Europe, Hong Kong and Australia. He has taught as a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University in Seattle.In 2012 Peter received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal, the highest honour awarded annually to an individual for services in architecture.

Enter Designers of the Year by April 1, 2019! Questions? Check out our FAQs.