Bruce Kuwabara. Photo by V. Tony Hauser
Bruce Kuwabara of KPMB Architects has been presented with the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by his hometown university. He is described by Patrick Deane, President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University, as ?one of Canada?s best known, most awarded and most influential architects.?
Born and raised in Hamilton, Kuwabara earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto in 1972. He worked at George Baird Architect and at Barton Myers Associates before co-founding Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in 1987, the partnership that won the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada?s Firm of the Year Award in 2005.
Reflecting on this honour, 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.? Kuwabara built an architectural career that has produced award-winning public and private buildings across Canada, the United States and in Europe. Known for creating under...