George Baird (born Aug. 25, 1939, in Toronto) is an architect and architectural educator most closely associated with the University of Toronto, although he also taught at Harvard University. Baird has been recognized for his teaching of architecture and urban design and was awarded the 2012 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.
Baird received his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degree from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1962. He carried out postgraduate research at University College, London. While he was at University College, Baird co-edited the book Meaning in Architecture with Charles Jencks.
Baird returned to Canada by 1967 and joined the faculty of the School of Architecture at the University of Toronto, remaining until 1993. He also emerged as a leading spokesman for improved urban design in Toronto.
Baird founded his architectural and urban design practice, George Baird Architect and Associates, in 1972. In 1982 the office became Baird/Sampson Architects, and since 1998 has been Baird Sampson Neuert Architects Inc. Projects include Cloud Gardens Park in Toronto, Thomas L. Wells Public School in Toronto (the first LEED certified public school in Canada), the Old Post Office Plaza in St. Louis, and the Mission 2050 Research Centre at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Baird Sampson Neufert received the RAIC Architectural Firm Award in 2007.
In 1993 Baird joined the faculty of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he taught design studio and architectural theory and served as director of master’s degree programs. In 2004, he returned to the University of Toronto to become dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, a position he held until 2009.
Baird received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Gold Medal in 2010. Baird is recipient of the 2012 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.