The Margolese National Design for Living Prize, offered through the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture (SALA), awards $50,000 to a Canadian citizen who has made a significant and positive impact on the built environment through design. One of the highest and richest honours in the Canadian design community, this annual prize was created through an estate gift to UBC by the late Leonard Herbert Margolese.

The prize was awarded six times between 2012 and 2017. After pausing to reconsider its terms and relevance, SALA is now relaunching the annual award with the hope of raising its recognition and attracting nominations from a broader range of professional disciplines and geographical communities. We welcome you to join us by spreading the word about the prize, and nominating yourself or a deserving candidate. 

SALA is educating the next generation of architects, landscape architects, and urban designers to become creative leaders, effective collaborators, and progressive agents of change. The Margolese Prize amplifies and extends SALA’s mission by uniting Canadian design students, educators and professionals in an exercise to highlight and honour individuals who are addressing the pressing human and environmental challenges of our time through design.