Raymond Moriyama founded the firm in 1958, turning his early challenges facing racism and discrimination as a Japanese Canadian, interned in a wartime camp, into an extraordinary vision and understanding that led to projects including the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Reference Library, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, and the Canadian War Museum. By the time the MTA office moved to the iconic 32 Davenport building in Toronto in 1966, Raymond had been assembling a culturally diverse team of talented architects, landscape architects, planners, interior designers, technicians, graphic designers, and writers who helped develop his visions for the next four decades. Raymond knew that a group comprised of individuals of varying walks of life, backgrounds, and heritage was something powerful.

In 2014, Raymond teamed with The Royal Architectural Institute Of Canada (RAIC) to create the Moriyama RAIC International Prize, meant to encourage Canadian architects to aspire to international excellence. Today, it is known as the RAIC International Prize and it continues to be a unique accolade, recognizing great architecture anywhere in the world that transforms society and promotes justice, respect, equality, and inclusiveness. Moriyama Teshima Architects continues in Raymond’s vision as a collaborative studio that is made up of individuals who reflect the cultural diversity that defines our country.

“If it is to be truly “golden,” architecture has to be humane and its intent the pursuit of true ideals, of true democracy, of equality and of inclusion of all people”.
– Raymond Moriyama