Brigitte Shim | Shim-Sutcliffe Architects

About Brigitte Shim

Brigitte Shim and A. Howard Sutcliffe are principals in the design firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects based in Toronto, Canada. Shim-Sutcliffe’s built work explores the integration and interrelated scales of architecture, landscape, furniture and fittings. To date, Shim and Sutcliffe have received sixteen Governor General’s Medals and Awards for Architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and an American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award along with many other professional accolades for their built work ranging from projects for non-profit groups to public and private clients. 

In 2013, Shim and Sutcliffe were both awarded the Order of Canada, “for their contributions as architects designing sophisticated structures that represent the best of Canadian design to the world.” In 2021, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada awarded Brigitte Shim and A. Howard Sutcliffe, the RAIC Gold Medal for their “tireless commitment to advocacy, teaching and mentoring along with their commitment to craft, tectonics, site and ecology in their built work and its lasting impact on Canadian architecture.” They have both served on numerous international, national and local design juries as unwavering advocates for design excellence. 

In her upcoming talk at UT Austin, Shim will address the significant role of site and scale in reshaping our connection to the land along with her rethinking about the role of craft in architecture. She will share selected small scale experiments and discuss their resonance and impact on their built work.