Three B.C. architects have been honoured with an appointment to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours, recognizing “outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.”

Renowned landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander was named a companion of  the order, which is the highest rank possible. She was promoted from the rank of Officer, which she attained in 2009, and cited for her “long-standing contributions to the field of architecture as a worldwide leader in promoting socially conscious and environmentally responsible landscape designs.”

Oberlander, 96, was a pioneer in devising green architectural designs, at times in collaboration with celebrated architects such as Arthur Erickson and Moshe Safdie.  She won the 2013 Mayor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and in 2014 she received the Interior Designers of Canada/International Interior Design Association Leadership Award of Excellence

Greg Smallenberg, a founding partner of PFS Studio, was named a member of the Order of Canada as a Member for his contribution “to the urban fabric of Canada as an influential landscape architect”.

Smallenberg is a Fellow of both the Canadian and American Societies of Landscape Architecture – a distinction held by only a handful of professionals in North America. He is one of the most well-known landscape architects in Canada and a recognized leader in the profession. He has extensive experience in large scale, open space planning, detailed design and project implementation. He has been responsible for numerous high profile projects throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

Richard Henriquez, founding partner of Henriquez Partners Architects, was also named a member of the Order. He was recognized for “his contributions to Canadian architecture, notably in shaping Vancouver’s urban landscape.”