Pat Hanson

Pat Hanson is a Canadian architect based in Toronto and a founding principal of gh3, an architecture practice which she co-leads with Raymond Chow. The office focuses on projects that blend architecture, landscape, and urbanism. Currently gh3 -- under Hanson's leadership -- has won six Governor General's Medal in Architecture awards. This award is considered "the highest recognition for building architecture in Canada." Hanson has been inducted into the RAIC College of Fellows and has become a WLI Champion by the Urban Land Institute, which celebrate's women's leadership in building a stronger Toronto Region through responsible use of land. Hanson is also a founding member of the Women’s Architectural League.

Career
After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters of Architecture from the University of Manitoba, she went on to practice with several architecture firms in Toronto primarily. She then served as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo, and is currently an active member of the Waterfront Design Review Panel. Her further teaching experience spans across North America and Europe where she has lectured on her firms projects and design process. Formerly she served on the advisory board of Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT). Other notable architects on the board of BEAT include Heather Dubbeldam and Brigitte Shim.

Hanson was recognized with an honourable mention in 2016 by the international arcVision Prize for Women and Architecture, quoted as having “Clarity in building, deep refinement of material qualities and a touch of dramatic impact on the urban landscape…”

The book Canadian Architecture published in 2021 attributes the sculptural qualities in her work to her fine arts undergraduate, stating a “reductive approach” that the author writes as evoking Donald Judd.

Notable works
Her designs include the Borden Park Pavilion, Borden Park Natural Swimming Pool, Stormwater Facility (SWF), Boathouse Studio, and Kathleen Andrew’s Transit Garage (KATG). In 2019, Azure magazine said her two projects within Borden Park were part of the 10 most memorable architectural works of the past decade.

Publications

 * Advocating for high quality architecture and design in public interventions across Canada : strategies and decision-making tools.
 * Fresh frontiers : Canadian architects abroad : August 5-September 11, 1983, the Art Gallery at Harbourfront.