In a ceremony held at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam was lauded by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, who presented the Imam with their highest honour – the 2013 Gold Medal. In his remarks, Hazar Imam expressed his gratitude and went on to describe the connection between architecture and quality of life, explaining how the Ismaili Centres embodied for the Jamat the hopeful aspirations of a forward looking community.