Congratulations to Raymond Wan Being Honored as a “Chinese Canadian Legend” | 恭贺温绍昌先生被授予“加拿大华裔传奇人物”荣誉

Architects are often remembered alongside their iconic works – just as Gustave Eiffel’s name lives on with the Eiffel Tower, or I.M. Pei is forever linked to the Louvre’s glass pyramid. Over the past three decades, Raymond S.C. Wan has designed hundreds of buildings that have transformed Winnipeg’s skyline, yet he never inscribes his name on his creations and rarely makes public appearances at his completed works.

His achievements are impressive, yet his approach remains low-key and practical – like still waters that appear calm on the surface while harboring great depth and power, quietly shaping the contours and soul of the city. This embodies the ancient Chinese wisdom of “still waters run deep”—beneath his unassuming exterior lies profound wisdom and unwavering character.

Educational Journey and Career Path

Born in Hong Kong, 15-year-old Raymond Wan was sent by his parents to study at the high school in the small town of Gretna, Manitoba, in 1975. Though challenging to be suddenly without parental guidance during his formative years, he smiles when recalling how this gave him freedom in choosing his career path, unlike many fellow Chinese students who had to pursue either medicine or law at their parents’ request.

Ray initially chose engineering as his major at the University of Manitoba, but switched to economics after two years when he discovered his true interests lay elsewhere, graduating with honours. During university, he befriended an interior designer who sparked his interest in the field.

Since childhood, Ray had enjoyed drawing and won numerous art awards in Hong Kong, though he never received formal training. After completing his economics degree, he pursued a one-year interior design program, then applied for a master’s in architecture, graduating in 1987. Despite Canada experiencing an economic recession with high unemployment among graduates, Ray’s academic excellence and outstanding internship performance earned him a position at a prominent local design firm before graduation.

Service Above All

After nine years with the firm, 35-year-old Ray took the plunge to start his own business with his wife’s support. Connie had stayed home to support Ray’s career and raise their children, later returning to school for an MBA once the children were older, after which she joined Ray in managing the design firm’s operations.

Ray takes a client-focused approach. He ensures that clients’ inquiries receive same-day responses and attaches great importance to clients’ expectations for both building functionality and budget constraints. In his view, architectural design is never a one-way output but an ongoing dialogue and collaboration. He humbly emphasizes: “We’re not here to tell clients what kind of building they should construct, but to work with them to help achieve their goals.”

This dedication and service-oriented spirit stems from his family tradition. His grandfather moved from mainland China to Hong Kong in the 1940s, building a rice import-export business from scratch through diligence, dedication, and integrity. Ray’s parents continued the family business, passing these commercial values and service principles to the next generation.

Design Philosophy

In Ray’s design philosophy, listening marks the beginning of creation. Before designing, he engages in deep conversations with clients to understand their usage patterns and preferences. This attention to detail ensures each project precisely captures unique client needs rather than merely pursuing superficial design innovation. Over the years, his professionalism and sincerity have earned clients’ trust and respect. He takes the greatest pride in his 99% client retention rate and finds most joy in seeing people use and appreciate his buildings.

In the 30 years since establishing his firm, Ray and his team have designed hundreds of buildings throughout Winnipeg and the surrounding areas. His design style is generous and sleek, both modern and practical. From commercial buildings to community facilities, from urban skyscrapers to small-town retirement homes, his work has shaped Winnipeg’s urban landscape. Today, his firm employs four full-time architects besides himself, handling 60 design projects annually, with business extending across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver.

Signature Work I: “The Noisiest Stadium”

Among all his works, the Canadian Football League stadium in Winnipeg (later renamed Princess Auto Stadium) holds the most significance for Ray. Before designing, he thoroughly researched football fans’ preferences when watching games. To create “the noisiest stadium” where fans could fully express their enthusiasm, he studied numerous arenas, particularly Seattle’s Lumen Field, ultimately designing a stadium with a distinctive modern character.

This open-air stadium accommodates over 30,000 spectators with a partial-coverage design. The cantilevered roof both shelters audience seating from rain and snow while enhancing acoustic effects, achieving the “loudest” goal. Its flexible, practical design allows it to host not only Canadian Football League games but also other sporting events, concerts, and citizenship ceremonies. It has become both a Winnipeg landmark and an important community venue.

Signature Work II: A Dormitory Blending Old and New

Another project Ray particularly values is the Pembina Hall Residence at the University of Manitoba. When approached by university officials, he faced a significant challenge: the original site contained a two-story building—the Pembina Student Services Centre—with limited space, while the university wanted to add hundreds of dormitory rooms for students. Demolishing the service center and building a new high-rise would be simplest but costly and time-consuming.

Ray devised an innovative solution: instead of demolition, he designed a high-rise dormitory above the existing building. The new building consists of a high residence block spanning above the service centre like a bridge, supported by two slender towers located on each end of the centre. This approach preserved the original building while adding over 300 student rooms, significantly reducing costs and construction time.

The challenge lay in precise calculations to ensure the side towers could support a 13-story structure spanning 50 meters. Drawing on his two years of engineering studies, Ray completed this intricate design. The new dormitory sits atop the old building, blending new with old, combining modern aesthetics while cleverly integrating new dormitory spaces with existing facilities.

Community Service and undertakings

Beyond work, Ray passionately engages in community services and public welfare undertakings. He and Connie have actively volunteered for community activities since their youth. Since the early 1980s, they’ve volunteered every summer for Winnipeg’s Folklorama multicultural festival. This two-week celebration, originally starting in Winnipeg’s Chinatown before attracting other ethnic communities, has evolved into a vibrant cultural feast.

For many years, Ray has worked behind the scenes of various community activities, quietly contributing his wisdom and strength. Beyond dedicating time and energy, he frequently donates generously. He was among the founding donors of the Winnipeg Chinese Community Foundation and served as first vice-president of the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural Center, devoted to promoting cultural heritage and exchange.

He says community involvement allows him to meet people from various professions and understand different communities’ characteristics and needs. These experiences and connections have not only enriched his life but infused his architectural designs with deeper humanistic care, enabling him to create works that better fulfill the needs and expectations of diverse groups, truly achieving perfect integration of architecture and humanity.

Not only did Ray Wan shape Winnipeg’s urban profile with his remarkable design talents, but he also set an outstanding example of Chinese-Canadian architectural excellence through his professional excellence and humanistic values.