Choose Your Favourite of the 10 Design Excellence Winners

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is inviting the public to vote for their favourite design for the 2015 OAA People’s Choice Award. Architecture enthusiasts have the opportunity to vote for their favourite design from the year’s 10 Design Excellence winners.

This year’s pool includes a number of interesting and innovative designs including a building that harnesses natural heat from bedrock, a beautiful concert hall in Russia, a sauna modeled after a grotto, and a kindergarten designed for people 3 feet tall. The People’s Choice Award will be announced at the Celebration of Excellence Ceremony at the OAA’s annual conference taking place in Hamilton on Friday May 8, 2015. The deadline to vote is April 15, 2015.

The category for Design Excellence recognizes Ontario architects who have created spaces, buildings, and communities that “enhance the environment and enrich human activity.” The projects can be located anywhere in the world and represent any form of built architecture (buildings, additions, interiors, conversions, restorations, or renovations), and must be undertaken by a member of the OAA. The jury assesses each submission based on three categories, creativity, context, sustainability, good business, and its legacy. The winning project must feature an innovative design solution, contribute to its unique location and community, and facilitate a sustainable environment. The OAA seeks out projects that reduce the impact on the site, the use of fossil fuels, and the use of virgin materials. The project must also support the business and architectural goals of the client, and create a new benchmark for architectural excellence in the field.

10 Design Excellence Winners

This year’s winners took design to new levels with their architectural achievements. Whether designing a private cottage nestled in the woods, revamping a historical site, or developing a state-of-the art research laboratory, each design pushes the boundaries of creativity and sustainability, setting new benchmarks in the field. Below we’ve compiled a brief summary of each entry so that you can make an informed vote.

Echo House - Ben Rahn

The first entry is by Paul Raff Studio who transformed an existing residence in Toronto’s Bridle Path to connect with the neighbourhood’s natural landscape. Using subtle material that evokes the Asian heritage of the family and the serene sculptural forms, Echo House is a subtle family home oriented to the outdoors. Raff was also able to reduce the building’s energy consumption by approximately 50%.

Fraser Mustard - Tom Arban

Toronto’s Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy designed by Kohn Shnier Architects is a functional design that caters to the needs of children aged three to five years old. The Academy uses child-oriented design, including ramps instead of stairs to create a child-friendly space. The interior areas are also designed to facilitate a sense of calm; tall windows reduce the need for fluorescent lights while white walls featuring only the children's artwork reduces plastics and creates a “visual hush” that actually lowers noise levels in the classroom. The project  overcame last minute obstacles, including the school board’s requirement to provide 120 parking spaces, by creating a hidden parking lot on the roof.

Goldring - Tom Arban

The University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sport by Patkau Architects Inc. and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. is a 2,000-seat indoor arena with a multi-storey sport and exercise facility. The complex includes a conditioning centre, sport medicine clinic, research and training facility, and will also be used during the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Grotto Sauna - Jonathan Friedman

PARTISANS’ Grotto Sauna is an 800 square foot sculpted sauna that fits easily into the site’s prehistoric large-scale rock formation. The project was inspired by Grottos, which have been historically known as natural caves embedded in the rock and discovered only by those who had the time and curiosity to explore. The project blends sculpted space and science, using 3D technology to scan, model, and build the interior’s dynamic movement and curvature.

Isabel Bader - Doublespace Photography (Amanda Large & Younes Bounhar

The Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts in Kingston, Ontario is a joint venture between Ottawa-based N45 Architecture Inc. and Oslo’s Snøhetta Architecture. The project incorporates the historic 1830s Morton Brewery and stable directly into a new state-of-the-art facility for education, creativity, and student performance with sweeping views of Lake Ontario. The developers worked closely with the Heritage Committee of Kingston to reuse materials and incorporate the architectural heritage into the final structure. The building also features a 566-seat performance hall with proportions and acoustics based on the concert halls of Europe.

Surrey Civic Centre - Ema Peter

The Surrey Civic Centre is a joint venture by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Kasian Architecture Ontario Incorporated. The architectural landmark will serve as a hub for commercial, cultural, civic, and social activity in the city, and will help revitalize the Vancouver suburb. The design incorporates New City Hall, creates additional space for Simon Fraser University, and serves as a major civic centre, facilitating the city’s transition towards a high-density, mixed-use, walkable place to live and work.

Ismaili Centre - Shai Gil

Moriyama & Teshima Architects make another appearance on the list (with Correa Associated) with the The Ismaili Centre. The structure, located adjacent to Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum, is part of a network of Ismaili Centres around the world with the goal of facilitating cultural and educational programmes. The building is situated within a beautifully landscaped park and features rooftop gardens that are reflected in the building’s crystalline glass roof and unique geometry. The crystalline roof filters daylight to create a bright space during the day, and a serene atmosphere in the evening.

Lake Cottage - Naho Kubota

The Lake Cottage by UUfie also makes use of natural light. The private residence is a “reinterpretation” of living in a tree house where nature is an integral part of the building. Located in the forest along the Kawartha Lakes, the two-storey abstract cottage uses fourteen openings to allow residents to take in the surrounding forest and skies. The building also uses local materials and sustainable principles to reduce the structure’s environmental impact.

Mariinski Theatre II

Across the world, Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. designed the Mariinsky II, a 2,000-seat auditorium in St. Petersburg, Russia. The building was chosen for its creativity, innovative nature, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and excellent use of daylighting. The building is located in the heritage district of St. Petersburg and is connected to the original Mariinsky Theatre.

Vale Living with Lakes Centre - Tom Arban

Finally, the Vale Living with Lakes Centre is a multidisciplinary research institute at Laurentian University designed to help protect Ontario’s northern aquatic ecosystems. The structure is a meeting place for scientists to train and experiment, providing state-of-the-art laboratories and conference facilities. The building utilized locally sourced raw materials to reduce fossil fuels associated with shipping, uses rain water from the pond as toilet water, incorporates glass and design strategies to reduce the use of artificial lighting during the day, captures natural warmth from the bedrock via a geothermal heating system, warms water via sunlight, and features a green roof. These are only a few of the eco-friendly design features incorporated into the building by J.L. Richards & Associates Limited.

About the OAA

The OAA is a self-regulating organization dedicated to promoting and increasing the knowledge, skill, and proficiency of its members. The OAA is governed by Architects Act, a statute of the Government of Ontario, intended to promote interest in the profession and design in the Province.

This year, the OAA’s annual conference will be taking place May 6-8, 2015 in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton is the perfect locale to discuss the conference’s topic, Urban Renewal, as the city is currently transitioning from an industrial town to a thriving arts community.

The OAA Awards gives Ontario architects the opportunity to present their work to both public and professional audiences and foster a greater appreciation for architecture in the public realm. Voting runs from March 25 until April 15, and you can cast your vote here. The OAA also encourages the public to comment on the projects, the People’s Choice Award, and the website.