Five Toronto Architects Win Governor-General’s Medals

The winners of the Governor-General’s Medals in architecture were recently announced, giving praise to the best new buildings in Canada.

The list of 12 awards, which are presented every two years, “recognize outstanding achievement in recently built projects by Canadian architects.” With five Toronto architects on the list, more than any other city in Canada, it’s definitely worth having a look at the list of winners!

60 Richmond East Housing Co-Operative

Coming in first, this development was led by architect Stephen Teeple of Teeple Architects. Located in the heart of downtown, this development is in accordance with LEED Gold standards and promotes a self-sustaining lifestyle coined, “urban permaculture.” Praised for its various social spaces, terraces and available garden areas, the development is home to relocated hospitality workers from Regent Park.

Providing residents with a kitchen and restaurant to run and a community garden to use for growing organic ingredients and recycling compost materials, jury members said "This is a socially admirable project that very much transcends the type and stands as an exemplar for urban housing. The building design takes apart the various program components and recombines them into a complex, sustainable and very urban hive of neighbourhoods. It is extremely gratifying to see a social housing project rise so far above mere accommodation."

The Centennial College Athletic and Wellness Centre

This great development by Kongats Architects is an important redevelopment of the existing Centennial College gymnasium facility that will help strengthen academic and athletic student life. The completed project will also serve the college as a new convocation ceremony venue and location for student association concerts and events. The team, led by Alar Kongats, also added re-design plans for the interstitial campus grounds to build an Alumni Courtyard.

Jury members said that "Of the award winners, this project is singular in developing an architecture of enclosure, by way of an innovative glass and concrete envelope. It brings a minimal, and elegant resolution to both the fitness facility inside and the grounds outside. The façade’s curved glass surface generates unique perceptual effects and magnifies the transformations in ambient light and atmosphere. Its articulation replays classical principles of a heavy base, column-like elements, and crown."

Joseph L. Rotman School of Management Expansion, University of Toronto

Recognized for its commitment to promoting “the power of creativity and integrative thinking” through a design that combines characteristics of both campus and city-building, this project is led by Bruce Kuwabara and Marianne McKenna from KPMB Architects. Specifically, the development focussed on study, interaction, sustainable design, creativity and business strategy. The jury was particularly satisfied with the ability this expansion has to further develop the Rotman curriculum, keeping Canada competitive on a global scale.

The jury commented, "Large glass volumes are anchored to an existing Victorian house and seem to float behind it. The volumes are simple and their detailing well-controlled, giving this building a sense of refinement and solidity. The lipstick-pink line of a staircase spirals up and down their core, to act as a social condenser and tease out the element of creation and innovation inherent in the school philosophy. This bright gesture in a sober box, along with the light volumes against the stately mansion, make a convincing use of contrasts."

Residence for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto

Connecting the Don Valley to the north and the low-rise urban south of the city through a coiling line, this project was intended to express the individual and contemplative lives of the sisters while accommodating the nature of community engagement involved. Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe from Shim-Sutcliffe Architects Inc. took care in making sure the location would provide residents with access to beautiful natural scenery.

The jury was particularly impressed with the duality of the architectural designs that help harness these aspects, saying "This project shines for the care that was brought in creating a loving environment for the elderly. The progression of public to private living spaces is underscored by the transition from urban to natural setting, along a narrow site on the edge of a ravine. The choice of materials and the careful attention to detail further add to the notion of this being a life-supporting environment, in the most profound sense of the term."

The Bloor Gladstone Library

This renovation project by Tyler Sharp from RDH Architects Inc./Shoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd. involved building an addition to the listed heritage library downtown. Commissioned to design an additional 12,000 square feet, the project successfully breathed new life into a formerly deteriorating library, transforming it into one of quality and value to the community.

The jury commented that "This renovation and expansion of a distinctive historical library stands out for being both creative and respectful. The design re-imagines the entranceway and body of the original structure, adds a minimal glass addition and creates an intimate courtyard in the process."

The Award program, created by RAIC is committed to the development of architecture by increasing public awareness over the relevance of architecture in our communities and cities. Administered by RAIC and the Canada Council for the Arts, these awards honour the “excellence in the art of architecture.”

All images via raic.org