Bruce Kuwabara, Marianne McKenna, and Shirley Blumberg at work at KPMB’s former office on King Street West in Toronto in 2017. Photo courtesy KPMB As co-founders of KPMB Architects, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg have shaped the trajectory of our practice and profoundly influenced the architectural landscape in Canada and beyond.  Together with Thomas Payne, Marianne, Shirley, and I launched Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in 1987, following our first collaborations as associates at Barton Myers Associates. Marianne and Shirley brought intelligence, judgment, balance, perspective and other critical skills to our fledgling practice, particularly in the areas of project stewardship and mentoring. I am deeply grateful to Marianne and Shirley for their support of my own RAIC Gold Medal. As the 2006 recipient, I was—and continue to be—uplifted by Marianne and Shirley’s support and encouragement, and our joint commitment to the professional craft of architecture and our firm’s focus and contribution to public life.  As individual architects, Marianne and Shirley have flourished and grown as leaders and role models in the field, achieving consistent design excellence. All this while advocating for and working to advance women, equity, and social justice in the profession. Each has achieved a remarkable balance of work and life.  Together, we have developed a model of practice based on the genius of collaboration. Our work is focused on inspiring, shaping, and advancing architecture for a better world: one that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Our buildings are recognized for how they respond to social, environmental, and urban contexts. In their work, Marianne and Shirley have created lasting value, sparked vibrant conversations, and formed juxtapositions between new and existing buildings. Together, they have competed successfully against firms that continue to be led by a singular (usually male) architect, or a group predominantly made up of men.  When I graduated from the University of Toronto 1972, not one of the four women in my first-year class completed the program. The number of women entering the field today has dramatically increased to the point that some schools have a ratio of 70% female and 30% male students. We now see generations of Canadian and international women architects like Marianne and Shirley celebrated in exhibitions, symposia, and publications. It is about time.  Both Marianne and Shirley are members of the Order of Canada, recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the nation and as Canadians who desire a better country through architecture. While previous pairs have received RAIC Gold Medals, Marianne and Shirley are uniquely positioned here. They equally exhibit a visionary approach to architecture that demonstrates pragmatic vision, a relentless commitment to excellence, deep collaboration, and responsible design.  It is my honour to congratulate Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg on receiving the Gold Medals in 2025 from the RAIC. The celebration of this partnership—one I am immensely privileged to witness daily—re-writes the history of collaboration in architecture in Canada, sends a timely message to the profession and the world, and sets a new precedent for our profession. Each has achieved a remarkable balance of work and life. As appeared in the 2025 RAIC Gold Medal issue of Canadian Architect magazine (May 2025) The post 2025 RAIC Gold Medal: The Genius of Collaboration appeared first on Canadian Architect.