Toronto, ON – The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is pleased to announce the 20 finalists for the OAA Design Excellence Awards. This year’s short-listed projects comprise a wide variety of building types, ranging from innovative public swimming pools and stunning Ontario homes to sustainably designed education spaces and well-crafted government projects. Chosen by a jury of design and architecture experts, this prestigious selection of projects will be further refined into a list of 10 winners.
The biennial OAA Awards program offers Ontario architects an opportunity to present their work to the public and to a professional audience, demonstrating the excellence of both individual award winners and the profession as a whole. This year, for the first time, the program required Energy Use Intensity (EUI) metrics for all submissions. This reflects the OAA’s belief that sustainable design is no longer a specialty, but rather a critical component of all projects as the architecture profession strives to find ways to ensure the built environment contributes to climate stability.
“I’m excited about the jury’s selections for this year's 2020 Design Excellence Awards, and I am pleased to be able to finally share them with you today. These projects are exemplary of the outstanding work being done by Ontario architects,” says OAA President Kathleen Kurtin. “I was particularly happy to see the quality and innovation in this year’s finalists, given that it was the first time EUI was included as a mandatory requirement of the submission process. Climate stability is a priority for the Association, and these awards demonstrate that Design Excellence is not limited by building responsibly for the future, but rather enriched.”
Selected from 79 eligible submissions, the 20 finalists were judged on a number of criteria, including creativity, context, sustainability, good design/good business, and legacy. The final 10 Design Excellence winners—as well as the recipients of the Best Emerging Practice, G. Randy Roberts Service Award, Lifetime Design Achievement, and Order of da Vinci—will be announced shortly.
Photo Credit: doublespace
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Photo Credit: Tom Arban Photography
Lazaridis Hall
Waterloo, Ont.
Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated in association with David Thompson Architect Ltd.
Photo Credit: Saucier+Perrotte Architectes / ZAS Architects
River City Phase 3
Toronto, Ont.
Saucier + Perotte Architectes in joint venture with ZAS Architects
Photo Credit: Adrien Williams
Semi Semi
Toronto, Ont.
COMN Architects Inc.
Photo Credit: Tom Arban Photography
Senate of Canada Building
Ottawa, Ont.
Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated and KWC Architects Inc. in joint venture
Photo Credit: Nic Lehoux
Further Information
OAA President Kathleen Kurtin and other architects involved with the OAA Awards Program’s Design Excellence Finalists are available for phone or email interviews. Additional information and high-resolution photos on all finalists are also available from the OAA. Please contact:
Erik Missio, OAA Communications Manager
416-449-6898, ext. 241
erikm@oaa.on.ca
About the Ontario Association of Architects
The Ontario Association of Architects is a self-regulating organization under the Architects Act, which is a statute of the Government of Ontario. It is dedicated to promoting and increasing the knowledge, skill and proficiency of its members, and administering the Act, in order that the public interest may be served and protected.