The AIBC is pleased to announce the names of those being honoured as part of its 2020 Recognition Program. Nick Milkovich Architect AIBC, FRAIC has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding career-long body of work, which has enriched the built environment both locally and abroad. Abdel Munem Amin Architect AIBC has been awarded the Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service given his dedication to the profession and community as a volunteer and mentor.
AIBC volunteers, whose work is critical to furthering the public-interest mandate of the Institute, are also recognized as part of the Recognition Program. So far this year, nearly 200 volunteers collectively contributed nearly 8,500 hours to the Institute’s initiatives and programs.
Normally, the AIBC hosts a special ceremony in November to recognize professional award recipients and the Institute’s volunteers. This year, given the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to hold the in-person event. Although 2020 has certainly been an unprecedented year, the recognition of these honourees is just as significant and meaningful. Please join us in congratulating the 2020 Recognition Program professional service award recipients, and all AIBC volunteers for their dedication to the architectural professional and community.
Professional Service Awards
AIBC Lifetime Achievement Award | Nick Milkovich Architect AIBC, FRAIC
Nick Milkovich was born in Vancouver, B.C. He attended the University of British Columbia, and the day after graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1968, he joined the firm of Erickson/Massey Architects. He continued to work for Arthur Erickson Architects from its origins in 1972, becoming an associate in 1979 and director of design in 1987. While heading the firm’s custom private residential work, Nick was also a member of the design team for the award-winning Museum of Anthropology at UBC and the Law Courts in downtown Vancouver.
In 1975, Nick became a registered architect with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. He joined the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and was elevated to fellowship in 1997.
Nick established Nick Milkovich Architects in 1991. The firm has a broad portfolio in North America and Asia and has been recognized with numerous awards, including: 2002 Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Medal, in association with Arthur Erickson Architects, for the Waterfall Building; 2011 Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Merit, in association with Walter Francl Architecture Inc. for the Creekside Community Centre; and 2003 Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture – Medal, with Arthur Erickson Architects and in association with Thomas Cook Reed Reinvald, for the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. The firm has also been recognized with the 2007 Premier’s Award of Excellence in Architecture for the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. More recent projects include šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (formerly Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza), the Museum of Anthropology seismic and envelope upgrades, and the Robson Square plaza.
Nick’s office has always been welcoming to students as he mentored numerous intern architects towards registration. Through the RAIC Syllabus Program, Nick was a mentor from 1980–1987 and the B.C. Studio Coordinator from 1987–2002. In addition, he was a thesis advisor and studio mentor at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and presented to students in the architectural program at BCIT. Nick also contributed to the profession as a member of the AIBC Design Panel Committee for more than 20 years.
With more than 50 years of professional practice, Nick’s body of work demonstrates creativity, public outreach, environmentally sensitive design, attention to detail, and use of advanced design technology. His focus on public and collective good, as well as upholding an inclusive and transparent engagement process, has ensured a collaborative approach which adds value to his projects.
In accepting his AIBC Lifetime Achievement Award, Nick stated:
“With sincere gratitude, I wish to thank the AIBC for bestowing upon me this great honour of the Lifetime Achievement Award. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the colleagues who submitted supporting letters for my nomination. In my earliest stages, I was fortunate to be involved in a studio which engendered an educational environment of exploration and collaboration, which has guided my approach ever since. I wish to thank my mentors, colleagues, and friends who made my journey joyful and rich, with of course, the anchoring support of my family.”
Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service | Abdel Munem Amin Architect AIBC
Abdel Munem Amin is a Palestinian who came to Canada to study architecture at McGill University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science of Architecture and two Master of Architecture degrees before moving to Vancouver to begin his career at a multi-national architecture firm. In 2007, he became a registered architect with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia through the Internship in Architecture Program.
Abdel Munem has worked in the architectural field in the public and private sectors, and is currently a senior architect for the federal government. As a registered architect, he has worked on residential, retail, transportation and institutional projects. Notably, Abdel Munem contributed to the City of Vancouver’s Canada Line infrastructure project for the 2010 Winter Olympics. As an advisor for design professionals around the world, his most recent work includes projects in New York City, Berlin, Tokyo, and Vienna.
Abdel Munem has demonstrated his dedication to the architectural profession and community in many ways. He has been a mentor to architectural students and graduates, served on the AIBC’s Intern Architect Committee, and continues to advocate for intern architects and the importance of registration. Abdel Munem has also been invited to share his expertise at architectural related events held across North America such as at Harvard University and the Pratt Institute in New York.
During his free time, Abdel Munem is a Content Producer for Rogers Television, where he showcases notable design projects and makes architecture accessible to viewers. Through his deliberate selection of stories to feature, he is committed to empowering vulnerable and marginalized populations, and to enhancing their quality of life. The carefully curated content that he produces has a significant impact on organizations by providing them with an opportunity to feature their work and how they are promoting community building to a broader audience. His mentorship has continued at Rogers Television, where he helps provide co-op students with an opportunity to learn employable broadcasting skills. Abdel Munem has also produced a docu-series to highlight the different ways that Belgians commemorate Canada’s contribution to Belgium’s liberation during World War I and II. This docu-series also looks at the efforts that went into building and maintaining the many monuments and memorials in Belgium that celebrate this special connection.
Through his volunteerism, Abdel Munem has demonstrated a commitment to making his community, no matter where he lives, a better place for its residents.
In accepting the Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service, Abdel Munem shared:
“Individual investments in both community building and improving the environment are fundamental to living an enriched, meaningful life. Architects, through our training and experiences, are well suited to take on leadership roles to enable changes for the public good. Thank you for this award, I am grateful to the AIBC for this incredible recognition.”
Volunteer Service Honourees
In regulating architecture in the public interest, it is important that the AIBC recognize those who help make our work possible through exceptional service and commitment to the Institute. The Recognition Program formally acknowledges the outstanding contributions of volunteers who dedicate their time, expertise and knowledge to help further the mandate of the AIBC.
For context, the AIBC has more than 25 committees, panels and working groups, which are comprised of nearly 200 volunteers.
In this extraordinary and unprecedented year, the Institute is delighted to recognize all AIBC volunteers and the work they have contributed over 2020. We would like to particularly recognize the resiliency, agility, and professionalism of our volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are only a few highlights from the past year that demonstrate their commitment to the architectural profession and its regulation:
- While all committee meetings moved online in March, significant and uninterrupted progress continued to be made on key initiatives, such as the Tariff of Fees for Architectural Services Update Project and the Bylaw Review Work Plan.
- More than 50 volunteers contributed to moving the Oral Reviews online in June, July, August, and September. All volunteers adapted quickly to delivering the Reviews over Zoom, and provided valuable feedback to refine the process.
- The first Reinstatement interview since 2017 for a former architect was conducted via Zoom in October.
Congratulations to all honorees of the 2020 AIBC Recognition Program – both our volunteers and professional service award recipients – who have had, and will continue to have, profound impacts on the profession and the community at large.
Learn more about the AIBC Recognition Program.