Allan Teramura, FRAIC, of Ottowa is known for his advocacy work for Aboriginal communities, as well as his contribution as one of RAIC's representatives at the COP21 Conference in Paris. He has also worked to form collaborations between the RAIC and multiple Canadian and international architectural organizations.

In his inauguration speech, delivered today, Teramura stressed how architecture can be as strong of a cultural support as language. “As architects," he said, "I think we would all agree that losing traditional building crafts and knowledge of ways of organizing physical space can be as corrosive to a society as the loss of a spoken language.”

He also stressed collaborative design processes when working with Indigenous communities: “At a time when talk of reconciliation is growing, our profession is in a position to – and, therefore, is obligated to – look at ways to help address injustices, not by imposing our ideas, but by listening and promoting the professional competencies that already exist in Indigenous communities.”

Previously in his architecture career, Teramura received the Research Thesis Prize and the RAIC Student Medal for highest overall academic standing, while a student at Carleton University School of Architecture. After graduating, he began working at Patkau Architects and Henriquez Partners, then with Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and GRC Architects. Later, after initially joining as an associate, Teramura became a partner at Watson Macewan Teramura Architects, joining the RAIC in 2002.

His architecture work focuses on restorations and conservations, and he also serves as the RAIC Regional Director for Ontario East, North, and Nunavut. He is also a member of UNESCO’s International Council on Monuments and Sites.

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