Brian Mackay Lyons

Brian MacKay-Lyons, FRAIC, RCA, Hon. FAIA, Hon. FRIBA, founded his firm, now known as MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited, in 1985. The practice works locally and internationally on residential, cultural, and academic projects. Among its many award-winning designs are Queens’s Marque, Smith House, and Mirror Point Cottage in Nova Scotia; Summit Horizon Neighborhood in Utah; and the Canadian Chancery in Australia, currently in process. While the studio’s body of work is known for its cultural responsiveness to local landscapes, climate, and material culture, it also consistently possesses an archetypal quality which touches a global audience. Brian and the studio are recognized internationally for their design excellence with over 160 design awards, including the prestigious Global Award for Sustainable Architecture; seven AIA National Honor Awards; four Architectural Record House Awards; and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal, the top award in Canada for lifetime contribution in architecture. The practice was also awarded the RAIC Firm Award and eight Governor General’s Medals, the most prestigious Canadian award that celebrates outstanding design in recently built projects. Brian was also appointed to the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture. Brian was a full professor at Dalhousie University for 37 years, which will bestow an Honorary Doctorate on Brian this May. He has held 18 endowed academic posts at leading universities around the world. Brian and his firm partner Talbot Sweetwater were honored as laureates of the prestigious Global Award for Sustainable Architecture under the patronage of UNESCO. The work of the firm has been recognized internationally in 100+ exhibitions, 900+ publications, and nine monographs. Brian MacKay-Lyons presented The Forum’s Frank Welch Memorial Lecture for the Dallas Architecture Forum on May 15, 2024. Please support The Forum, a non-profit organization, at dallasarchitec... so we can continue to present lectures and events featuring design thought leaders that educate, connect communities, and enhance how we live.