CM, FRAIC, RCA, (Hon.Int) FAIA, (Hon.Int) FRIBA, NSAA, AAPEI, AANB, OAA, OAQ, AIBC, NH, VA, UT, ME
Brian MacKay-Lyons was born and raised in the village of Arcadia in Nova Scotia, on the East coast of Canada. Brian received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1978 and his Master of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of California Los Angeles, in the United States.
He has developed a leading global practice from Nova Scotia that has been honoured with over 160 design awards, including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Gold Medal to Brian in 2015, the top award in Canada for lifetime contribution in architecture, and the RAIC Firm Award in 2014; eight Governor General Medals, the most prestigious Canadian award that celebrates outstanding design in recently built projects; seven American Institute of Architects (AIA) National and International Honor Awards of Architecture; eighteen Lieutenant Governor’s Medals of Excellence; nine Canadian Architect Awards; four Architectural Record Houses Awards; and thirteen North American Wood Design & Building Awards.
A fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC), and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA), Brian MacKay-Lyons was named Honorary International Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (Hon. Int. FAIA) in 2001 and in 2016 was made an Honorary International Fellow by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Hon. Int. FRIBA) in London. In 2022, Brian was appointed to the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture. Brian was a full professor and faculty member at Dalhousie University for 37 years and has held 18 endowed academic chairs or visiting professorships at leading universities worldwide, such as: The Peter Behrens School of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis, Harvard University, and University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design.
Twenty years after founding the firm Brian MacKay-Lyons Architecture Urban Design, Talbot Sweetapple became a partner in 2005 to form MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects. In 2017, Brian and Talbot were honoured as laureates of the prestigious Global Award for Sustainable Architecture by the Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris, under the patronage of UNESCO. The work of the firm has been recognized in 900+ publications including eight monographs and has been featured in 100+ exhibitions internationally.
