William (Bill) Chomik, Architect, AAA, was awarded the Tom Sutherland Award in recognition of his design expertise, community service, and leadership in the field of architecture.

The Tom Sutherland Award was created in 2017 to recognize a member of the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) who has exemplified the leadership qualities and commitment to community service of the late Tom Sutherland.

In his acceptance speech Chomik said, “to be judged as having the qualities of leadership and service in both the profession and the community at large as Tom possessed is, to say the least, humbling.”

Chomik first registered as an architect with AAA in 1985 and worked on more than 700 buildings over the course of his career. He has gained a reputation as the most knowledgeable planetarium architect in the world, with the Calgary Science Centre planetarium being the first of the 25 he has designed around the world, AAA said.

Chomik has received many awards, including a Governor General’s Award for Architecture and a City of Calgary Mayor’s Urban Design Award, alongside international recognition, receiving honourary fellowships with the American Institute of Architects (A)A and Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana Ac.

Throughout his career Chomik has also accumulated an extensive record of community service, including serving as a community member of the University of Calgary Senate since 2015 and chair of the City of Calgary Urban Design Review Panel from 2005 to 2007, AAA said.

In his nomination letter, Arup Datta, AAA Life Member, wrote, “Bill’s contributions to the built environment are only outdone by his leadership achievements in our architectural community.”

AAA Registered Architect Katherine Robinson wrote, “as a highly creative architect who brings honesty, transparency, and innovation to every project, Bill has also made invaluable contributions to Calgary—matching his prolific architectural output with an ongoing, passionate commitment to the local community.”