Toronto, ON – The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) has announced the winners of its 2022 Design Excellence Awards, as well as the recipients of this year’s OAA Service Awards. They will be celebrated at this year’s OAA Conference, Inspiring Climate Action, which will be held in Toronto and also online in May.
The biennial OAA Design Excellence Awards offers Ontario’s architecture profession an opportunity to showcase the possibilities for the built environment, and promote broader public appreciation and understanding of architecture and the allied arts. Submissions required inclusion of Energy Use Intensity (EUI) metrics, reflecting the OAA’s commitment to pursuing climate stability in the public interest and ensuring sustainable, resilient design is a critical component of any successful project.
This year’s selection of eight winners includes building types ranging from libraries and learning institutions to striking residences and performing arts venues in Southwestern Ontario and Northwestern Texas. Chosen by a jury of design experts who first narrowed 80 eligible submissions into a list of 17 finalists, these projects were judged on criteria such as creativity, context, sustainability, good design/good business, and legacy. In alphabetical order, they are:
• Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences (Lubbock, Texas) by Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated (Design Architect), Parkhill (Architect of Record), and MWM Architects, Inc. (Associate Architect);
Photo Credit: Casey Dunn
• Centennial College Downsview Campus Centre for Aerospace and Aviation (Toronto, Ontario) by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. (MJMA) In association with Stantec Architecture Ltd.;
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
• Clearview Public Library, Stayner Branch (Stayner, Ontario) by Lebel & Bouliane Inc.;
Photo Credit: Tom Arban
• The Springdale Library and Komagata Maru Park (Brampton, Ontario) by RDH Architects Inc.;
Photo Credit: Nic Lehoux
• Tile House (Toronto, Ontario) by Kohn Shnier Architects;
Photo Credit: Michael van Leur
• Tom Patterson Theatre (Stratford, Ontario) by Hariri Pontarini Architects;
Photo Credit: Scott Norsworthy
• Tommy Thompson Park Entrance Pavilion (Toronto, Ontario) by DTAH Architects Limited; and
Photo Credit: Scott Norsworthy
• University College Revitalization (Toronto, Ontario) by Kohn Shnier Architects in association with E.R.A. Architects Inc.
Photo Credit: doublespace photography
These projects, and the teams behind them, will be highlighted at the Celebration of Excellence held at the Toronto Event Centre for invited guests on the evening of Thursday, May 12 at 7 pm, as well as streamed live publicly on the OAA’s YouTube channel.
At the event, the OAA will also reveal which projects are the recipients of the Michael V. and Wanda Plachta Award, the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Design Excellence in Architecture, and the People’s Choice Award. For this last award, a special two-week online voting period begins today on Tuesday, April 5, with members of the public encouraged to select their personal favourite among the eight winners.
The Celebration of Excellence will also showcase Smart Density, winners of Best Emerging Practice—a biennial award for a newer firm that demonstrates a clear vision, well-articulated goals, and proven effective strategies.
The following OAA Service Award-winners will also be honoured at Conference, during a special Recognition Lunch event on Wednesday, May 11:
• John van Nostrand, who will receive the Order of da Vinci for demonstrating exceptional leadership in the profession, education, and/or in the community;
• Diarmuid Nash, who will receive Lifetime Design Achievement, as an architect with a career-long commitment to the promotion and achievement of architectural design excellence; and
• Camille Mitchell, who will receive the G. Randy Roberts Service Award, in recognition of being an OAA member providing extraordinary service to the membership, for ‘behind-the-scenes’ dedication and action, as well as employing the skills and the energy to get things done.
In addition, the OAA Technology Program Student Awards will be spotlighted, and Eberhard Zeidler will be posthumously added to the Honour Roll, which recognizes prominent deceased members of the architectural profession.
More information on the winners, a forthcoming Awards publication, and how to vote for People’s Choice will be shared on the OAA’s Awards page, along with its Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram channels.
Further Information
OAA President Susan Speigel, architects involved with the Design Excellence projects, and those receiving Service Awards may be available for phone or email interviews. Additional information and high-resolution photos and credit information for all finalists are also available from the OAA. Please contact Erik Missio, OAA Communications Manager, at 416-449-6898, ext. 241 or 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. For more information, visit www.oaa.on.ca.