Eva Matsuzaki (born Eva Pūpols on February 27, 1944) is a retired architect and first former female president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). Eva immigrated from Latvia to the United States and later developed her career living in Vancouver, Canada. In 1998, she established her own firm known as Matsuzaki Architects Incorporated along with her husband, Kiyoshi Matsuzaki. Matsuzaki is a founding member of Vancouver's women in architecture support network and is involved in environmentally sensitive and sustainable building design.
Early life and education
Eva Pūpols was born on February 27, 1944, in Riga, Latvia, that at the time was occupied by Nazi Germany, and later immigrated to New York City, USA with her family at the age of 5. She wanted to create architecture as early as ten years old. She would stay up late at night and redesign houses and building plans that were featured in magazines. Eva attended Cornell University and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1966. She was one of two women in a graduating class of 40 students.
Through her career, Eva met her late husband and fellow architect, Kiyoshi Matsuzaki. Eva and Kiyoshi met at the coffee machine while both working at Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo & Associates and were married in 1970. Kiyoshi is a Japanese-Canadian architect, former president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and former council member of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Eva and Kiyoshi moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1972 where they worked together for the entirety of their architectural careers. In 2010, Kiyoshi was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away in 2012. Eva and Kiyoshi have two children, Tessa and Martin.
Career
After graduating from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Architecture, Eva worked in the office of Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo & Associates in Hamden, Connecticut, between 1966-1972. She became job architect for the Irwin Union National Bank located in Columbus, Indiana and the Lehman Pavilion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Eva then worked with architectural firm McCarter Nairne, between 1972–1974.
Eva worked for Arthur Erickson Architects from 1974–1984 with husband Kiyoshi Matsuzaki. At Arthur Erickson, she was the design coordinator for the Provincial Government Office Building and the Courthouse Complex in Vancouver (also known as Robson Square). Eva also became Project Architect for the Government of Canada Building, a condominium in West Vancouver and a mixed-use condominium in Whistler, British Columbia.
Eva and Kiyoshi partnered with architect Jim Wright to form Matsuzaki Wright Architects, later renamed Matsuzaki Architects Inc. Eva Matsuzaki worked as a supplementary professor at the school of architecture at the University of British Columbia and was a design critic, tutorial leader and mentor. She also became the chairwoman of Vancouver's urban design panel. Eva was the president of the Canadian architectural certification board and the Canada Line Board, chairwoman of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) examining board, and a member of the AIBC council. Matsuzaki served as a regional representative for British Columbia and the Yukon, RAIC first vice-president, and chairwoman of the institute's awards task force.
She became the first female president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) at the 1998 festival of architecture in Regina, serving for one year. Matsuzaki is currently a member of the Board of Callanish Society, which is a support group for people surviving with cancer.
Architecture firm
In 1984, Eva and Kiyoshi Matsuzaki partnered with architect Jim Wright to form Matsuzaki Wright Architects. In 1998, the firm was renamed Matsuzaki Architects Inc. Matsuzaki Wright Architects are known for a portfolio of works in a mid-century modern style, and for creating benchmarks in the emerging field of sustainable design. Matsuzaki has followed two themes throughout her practice: a thoughtful approach to environmentally-sensitive design and a commitment to the architectural and larger community.
Notable Projects
C.K. Choi Building at the University of British Columbia (Matsuzaki Wright Architects, completed 1996)