Alberta architect Vivian Manasc has been awarded the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

“Vivian’s 35-year-long career and contributions to architecture have left a lasting imprint on Alberta and Canada,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC. “As a green building pioneer, Manasc was there almost 20 years ago at founding CaGBC, helping create an organization that is fully dedicated to advancing sustainability in the building industry. Her commitment to design that pushes the boundaries of sustainability are a hallmark of her work.”

Manasc, principal at Reimagine (formerly Manasc Isaac Architects, which she co-founded), was recognized for her contributions to green building in Alberta and across Canada. For the past 35 years, she has led integrated sustainable design teams with Reimagine for a wide variety of projects, frequently working in partnership with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities to deliver buildings that reflect the spirit and needs of these communities.

Her trailblazing nature helped the firm score Alberta’s first LEED Certified building, and the first LEED Gold building in the Arctic. Her work beyond the firm has included co-founding the long-standing Alberta Sustainable Buildings Symposium, serving as president of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, and helping to launch the Canada Green Building Council.

She was recognized for her leadership in green building with the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2017. This distinction is the highest honour that the Province of Alberta can bestow on a citizen, and recognizes the broad and significant impact Vivian’s work has achieved provincially and nationally in the field of sustainable building and community design.

Manasc and the other winners of the CAGBC Awards will be celebrated at Building Lasting Change 2021.