The Architectural Institute of British Columbia has transitioned its achievement awards to the Architectural Foundation of BC (AFBC). Since 2021, the rebranded AFBC has undertaken the program which includes the Lieutenant Governor Awards—an institution that the AIBC had run for several decades. Kudos must go to the AFBC board for their ongoing efforts to which we can now add the AFBC Architectural Achievement Awards, having had its inaugural launch on November 21st in the Vancouver Railtown District.

Sitting next to Vancouver’s bustling port, the venue was generously provided by the principal at Informprojects, Harvey Reehal, offering a peek at their recently renovated Informprojects showroom next to the American Can Company building. Located on the sixth floor and facing the port and waterfront, the reno was itself the recipient of a Lieutenant Governor Award in 2023 for OMB Architects. With several prominent members of Vancouver’s architectural community receiving awards, the turnout was a packed house despite the evening’s inclement weather.

With AIBC board members Michelle Fenton and Kim Barnsley as emcees for the evening, AFBC Chair Karl Gustavson said a few opening words about the Foundation, after which the evening’s program began with a land acknowledgment and Coast Salish performance by Coastal Wolf Pack. Six awards were then given out in total, two of which were for recipients unable to receive them in 2020 due to COVID restrictions:

• Abdel Munem Amin – Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award (not in attendance)
• Nick Milkovich – Lifetime Achievement (attended)

• Nancy Mackin – Community Stewardship (attended)
• Darryl Condon – Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service (attended)
• Peter Cardew – Lifetime Achievement (awarded posthumously)
• William R. Rhone – Lifetime Achievement (attended)

The evening provided those representatives present from Vancouver’s architecture and design firms the opportunity to honour these six individuals and allow their friends and family to see the impact their careers have had on our Little Village by the Sea. It was a privilege to be sitting next to both Bill Rhone and Nick Milkovich, two individuals whose careers have touched any architect who has lived and worked in BC. It was also a delight to see the projects Nancy Mackin had brought to share, along with the impact that her stewardship has had on the communities she’s worked with.

As Treasurer of the AIBC Council (now Board) in 2018, I was fortunate to have served alongside one of the evening’s recipients, Darryl Condon, who for many years led the Institute, and continues to lead along with the other principals at hcma. We chatted afterward that his award was not a lifetime achievement award because he is very much still in mid-stride.

On a more serious note, the evening’s most somber moment came in the posthumous award to the late Peter Cardew, who we sadly lost during COVID-19. Along with the projects of Milkovich and Rhone, these three constitute a lion’s share of architectural achievement in Metro Vancouver. Nick Milkovich was honoured for his own firm’s work along with his lifelong collaboration with Arthur Erickson, while Bill Rhone was awarded for his firm Rhone & Iredale—where Peter Cardew also worked—and itself a titan firm in its day.

It was overall a generous evening hosted by the AFBC, and we can look forward to other future achievement awards in between the bi-annual Lieutenant Governor awards. As Karl Gustavson noted in his opening comments, both architects and architecture need a voice in Metro Vancouver and the province. With the rebranding of the AFBC in 2021, very much in anticipation of the Professional Governance Act replacing the BC Architect’s Act, the Foundation currently has the opportunity to be that voice. To provide not just awards programs but scholarships, walking tours, and perhaps—as Karl hinted—even a return of Architecture in Schools.

One may ask where is Vancouver’s architecture centre? Recently visiting Montreal, it occurred to me they have called the CCA the Canadian Centre for Architecture so there is no mistaking it there. And in Toronto, for many years the Design Exchange was run by the Toronto Society of Architects and the de facto centre of architecture in TO (sadly shuttered in 2019). So, where is Vancouver’s? For some time there was the AIBC Architecture Centre, but with it closing its doors in 2020 perhaps the AFBC can look to locate somewhere in 2025.

Our country is vast, and our provincial architectural associations can only do so much given their regulatory mandate. And national organizations like the RAIC and CACB cannot possibly provide for everyone given limited staff and resources to support local advocacy for each metropolitan area. It is up to each of us, with boots on the ground in our local architectural communities, to advocate whether to write a piece like this one or attend an event like the Achievement Awards. Local architects and designers can each do their part by being present for our profession. Those who came out this past rainy November night to 411 Railway Street did just that, and congratulations again to all the evening’s award recipients!

For more information on the event go to Architectural Awards of Excellence — AFBC, and view the evening’s photo gallery here.

Sean Ruthen is a Metro Vancouver-based architect.

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Winners for this year’s edition of the Prix du Québec, the highest distinction awarded by the Government of Québec in the fields of culture and science, have been announced.

The awards recognize the exceptional careers of individuals who have contributed to the growth of their field, the transmission of knowledge and the influence of Québec throughout the world.

Among the winners are Serge Filion, who was awarded the Ernest-Cormier Prize and Raymond Montpetit, who received the Gérard-Morisset Prize.

Serge Filion became director of the land use planning division for the City of Québec in 1969. From 1996 to 2005, he held the position of director of planning and architecture at the National Capital Commission of Quebec, before working for a year as assistant to the president.

In Quebec City, he is responsible for the design of the first land use plan and the first zoning plan, which led to the establishment of the Lebourgneuf district, the revitalization of the Saint-Roch district, and the complete development plan for the banks of the Saint-Charles and Berger rivers.

Now retired, Filion continues to mobilize Quebec authorities around the defense of cultural heritage and the environment. His goals are to encourage the creation of urban spaces that honour the past, while prioritizing the ecological crisis in future urban policies.

Raymond Montpetit is a researcher, museologist, founding director, author, and professor. Since 1974, through the design and production of temporary and permanent exhibitions, he has been committed to disseminating heritage to a wide audience. In order to improve the professional functioning of Quebec museums, he played a major role in the establishment of the first master’s program in museology in Quebec in 1987, of which he was the founding director and which he would direct again from 1993 to 1999.

Between 1981 and 1983, Montpetit contributed to the design of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, the first municipal museum inspired by American interpretation centres, and in 1987, he defined the broad outlines of what would become Pointe-à-Callière, the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. In 2001, he directed the creation of the new regional museum La Pulperie de Chicoutimi, which focuses on the history and identity of Saguenay. More recently, he wrote the study that led to the creation of the Centre des mémoires montréalaises, which opened in 2023. Named professor emeritus by the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2014, Montpetit continues to participate in research and publication projects.

The full list of 2024 winners are featured below.

Cultural awards

• Denis Côté, Albert-Tessier Prize – Cinema
• Élise Turcotte, Athanase-David Prize – Literature
• Denis Gougeon, Denise-Filiatrault Prize – Performing Arts
• Rémy Girard, Denise-Pelletier Prize – Performing Arts
• Serge Filion, Ernest-Cormier prize – Regional planning, architecture and design
• Françoise Armand, Georges-Émile-Lapalme Prize – French language
• Raymond Montpetit, Gérard-Morisset Prize – Heritage
• François Cousineau, Guy-Mauffette Prize – Radio, television and digital or traditional media
• François Morelli, Paul-Émile-Borduas Prize – Visual arts, crafts and digital arts
• Aline Desjardins, René-Lévesque Prize – Journalism

Scientific prizes

• Sylvie Belleville, Armand-Frappier prize – Development of a research institution or administration and promotion of research
• Frantz Saintellemy, Innovation Prize – Scientific, entrepreneurial, economic, social or commercial innovations
• Robert J. Vallerand, Léon-Gérin Prize – Human and Social Sciences
• Myriam Denov , Marie-Andrée-Bertrand Prize – Social Innovation
• René Doyon, Marie-Victorin Prize – Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Anne-Marie Mes-Masson, Wilder-Penfield Prize – Biomedical Research
• Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne, Hubert-Reeves Prize – Scientific Emerging Talent, all scientific disciplines

For more information, click here.

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Architect Bruce Kuwabara, co-founder of KPMB Architects, has received a University of Toronto honorary doctorate.

While Kuwabara has designed fine structures in Canada, he is also an accomplished city-builder, a valued campus-builder and a University of Toronto alum who has helped shape the university’s development and contributed to the success of the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

For his architectural and design sensibility, and for his outstanding contributions to the university, Kuwabara received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from U of T on June 20, 2024.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1949, Kuwabara earned a degree in architecture from U of T in 1972. After graduation, he joined the teaching studio of architect George Baird where he completed an apprenticeship. He then joined Barton Myers Associates, where he worked for 12 years.

After Myers left in 1987, he handed over his practice in Toronto to Kuwabara, Marianne McKenna, Shirley Blumberg, and Thomas Payne. Together, they created the new firm KPMB.

Kuwabara’s work in Toronto includes cultural and academic institutions such as the Gardiner Museum, the Rotman School of Management, Canada’s National Ballet School and TIFF Bell Lightbox, in which he blends contemporary details with historical elements. His designs for Kitchener City Hall, Richmond City Hall and Vaughan City Hall have all won Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.

“Kuwabara’s agenda is not just about making objects and places of great beauty but something more active, more profound. Something that is simultaneously both culturally stabilizing and transforming,” has said Larry Richards.

Kuwabara is an officer of the Order of Canada. His firm, KPMB, has won 18 Governor General Awards, with Kuwabara being the lead partner on 14 of the winning projects.

“We have a collective responsibility as architects, landscape architects, urban designers, visual artists and foresters to engage with the issues of our time. We can only be contemporary. Your area of study will be meaningful if it serves the needs of society and the world,” said Kuwabara in his convocation address to this year’s architecture graduates.

“Develop your natural intelligence while asking what you can do to enhance the lives of others. Keep working towards making the world we want. Keep reminding yourself to move beyond ‘what’s good for me is all that counts.’ Keep thinking and acting in citizenship.”

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Members of British Columbia’s zero-carbon buildings community recently came together to recognize six individuals, projects, and organizations for their leadership in reducing embodied carbon pollution in the province.

Embodied carbon emissions are produced during the production and transportation of building materials, including steel, concrete, insulation, and glass, during construction and when a building is demolished.

Through its Carbon Leadership Forum British Columbia (CLF British Columbia) program, the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre hosted the second annual BC Embodied Carbon Awards in Vancouver on April 18, 2024. The awards aim to showcase and celebrate leadership and inspire others to reduce embodied carbon in their projects.

The BC Embodied Carbon Awards were made possible through program funding from the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre and City of Vancouver and event sponsors RJC Engineers (Gold), Perkins & Will, hcma, Third Space, and CLF Toronto (Silver), and reLoad Sustainable Design, Carbon Wise, and Equilibrium (Bronze).

The judges for each of the six categories, which are all members of the CLF British Columbia Volunteer Group, handed out the awards at the Ventura Room in Vancouver.

The winners include the following.

Organizational Commitment to Change: ZGF Architects
This award recognizes a company or organization that has shown exemplary leadership in reducing embodied carbon in British Columbia’s built environment.

Public Sector Leadership: University of British Columbia
This award recognizes a British Columbia-based local government, public sector organization, or non-profit organization that has demonstrated exemplary leadership in reducing embodied carbon in British Columbia’s built environment.

Large Buildings: North Island College Student Housing, HDR Architecture
This award recognizes a large new development or a substantial renovation of a large building that demonstrates excellence in low-embodied-carbon design and construction . The relevant local government or permitting authority must classify the recognized building(s) under Part 3 of the building code.

Small Buildings: Phoenix House, Carbon Wise
This award category recognizes excellence in low-embodied-carbon design in a small new project such as a single-family home or laneway home, or a substantial renovation of an existing single-family home or smaller building. The relevant local government or permitting authority must classify the recognized building(s) under Part 9 of the building code.

Commitment to Circularity: Renewal Development
This award recognizes exceptional initiatives and projects that embrace and tangibly advance circularity or circular concepts within British Columbia’s buildings sector.

Strengthening the Practice: Anthony Pak
This award recognizes a building sector professional who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to reducing embodied carbon across British Columbia’s built environment. Note: This is a nomination-based award.

“As all levels of government look to accelerate the delivery of housing, it becomes even more critical to consider the carbon impacts of more high-rise buildings and greater use of high-carbon materials such as conventional concrete,” said Lisa Dominato, councillor, City of Vancouver and chair, climate action committee, Metro Vancouver:

“These award-winning projects and organizations have shown us that addressing embodied emissions through the lifecycle of a building is an essential, strategic, and cost-effective way to reduce emissions while creating new housing and commercial space, local and regional economic development, and jobs. We are grateful to the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre and its Carbon Leadership Forum British Columbia program for their work to bring together and strengthen the diverse community of practitioners leading the way on climate action within the building sector in Vancouver and BC.”

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The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and the Canada Council for the Arts have announced the recipients of the 2024 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.

The biennial awards recognize and celebrate outstanding design in recently completed built projects of any size, type and geographical location by Canadian architects.

The competition continues a tradition that was inititated in 1950 by the Massey Medals, and provides a source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture as well as the regional, cultural, and historic forces expressed in the built environment.

According to the RAIC, outstanding design considers exemplary approaches to sustainability, and the support and advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

From a residential home to a public library and theatre, the 12 winning projects from across Canada represent a variety of building types and sizes.

The following are the 2024 recipients.

GROW, Calgary, AB, Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA)   

King City Public Library and Seniors Centre, King City, ON, Kongats Architects  

Garden Laneway House, Toronto, ON, Williamson Williamson Inc.  

Churchill Meadows Community Centre and Sports Park, Mississauga, ON, MJMA Architecture & Design  

Promenade Samuel-De Champlain – Phase 3, Quebec, QC, Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker Architecture  

Pumphouse, Winnipeg, MB, 5468796 Architecture  

SFU Stadium, Burnaby, BC, Perkins&Will  

École de l’Étincelle, Chicoutimi, QC, Agence Spatiale | APPAREIL Architecture | BGLA  

Cabot Cliffs: Cliffs Residences, Halfway Hut and Pro Shop, Cape Breton, NS, Fowler Bauld & Mitchell Ltd. (FBM)  

31 Scarsdale Road, North York, ON, Suulin Architects  

Neil Campbell Rowing Centre, St. Catharines, ON, MJMA Architecture & Design | Raimondo + Associates Architects  

Théâtre de Verdure, Montreal, QC, Lemay

“The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture celebrate and commemorate projects and architects that embrace and exceed the highest standards of the profession,” said Jason Robbins, FRAIC, president of the RAIC. “This year’s recipients continue a long-standing tradition of design excellence, making a significant impact across all aspects of our lives. The awarded projects demonstrate exceptional careful consideration of people, place and purpose, and further contribute to the growing Canadian culture of design. The RAIC offers congratulations to this year’s recipients and everyone who contributed their work to these awards. Each and every project shows how architecture can be a positive force that is inclusive, sustainable, and capable of change in individual lives and communities. Your dedication to design excellence creates a better world for all.”

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This month’s issue of Canadian Architect is a celebration of award winners: it features the laureates of the RAIC Gold Medal, the RAIC International Prize, the RAIC Annual Awards, and the National Urban Design Awards.

As co-chair of the RAIC Awards Advisory Committee, and a jury member for numerous architectural awards over the past decade, I’ve had many opportunities to reflect on what makes for the most successful award programs—as well as the best award submissions.

Every awards jurying process involves deliberation, negotiation, and evolution of viewpoints among the jurors. In most programs with a substantial number of entries, jurors are given the opportunity to preview entries, and are often asked to scorecard them ahead of a jury meeting. But the best results are rarely the aggregate sum of those scorecards. Rather, the preliminary assessment is generally just a starting point for understanding how best to focus the jury’s time together.

Many juries are now convened online, and this has the advantage of being able to easily bring together jurors from different locations. However, I’ve found that with few exceptions, the quality of jury conversations is improved when juries meet in person. Like in any meeting, interpersonal dynamics interweave with the official business of selecting winning projects—and it’s easier to assess the values, expertise, and interests that each juror brings to a deliberation when you’re in the same physical space.

One of my favourite juries to participate on was the Toronto Urban Design Awards, about seven years ago. Because of the local nature of the program, much of the two-day process was spent driving around the GTA to see actual projects. This was an invaluable experience: as any designer knows, even a comprehensive set of photos, drawings, and even video cannot fully replicate the experience of being in a place. In some cases, seeing the projects nudged the jury’s assessment up, while in others, the reality proved to be disappointing compared to the submission package.

Increasingly, the submission of sustainability metrics has become a requirement for entering awards programs. But how are these metrics used in the assessment of projects? In the recent OAA design excellence jury, a technical jury, consisting of two members of the association’s sustainability committee, independently reviewed all of the entries, and assigned a sustainability score to each entry, using a clear set of criteria (with half of the points assigned to energy efficiency, and the other half assigned for additional sustainable features, including fuel-switching, LEED certification, mass timber, greywater reuse, and so on). The technical marks were presented to the jury, and were an important factor in its decisions.

What characterizes a winning entry? In most design awards, the quality of photos is important—there is a tangible difference in quality with professional photography. The inclusion of floorplans and other key drawings, even if not mandated by the award, is also key. In the cases where a limited number of images is specified, drawings can often be included as part of a composite image, placed alongside a relevant photo. Many award submissions allow for a short text. The clarity of this narrative is important, especially as it pertains to criteria like process or social impact, which may not be immediately apparent from the design. If videos are permitted, this can also be a powerful opportunity for storytelling about a project’s significance, and conveying the character of the resulting spaces.

It’s worth vetting the entire content of your submission to make sure every element is of high quality. The editor’s maxim “if in doubt, leave it out” is of relevance here. A significant amount of time may go into a well-composed awards submission; these honed materials can ideally be reused in websites, proposals, and marketing.

In the case of nominations for a person or organization to receive an honour, consider including letters of reference. The validation of peers, clients, and collaborators can be quite powerful—especially if the letters are not generic ones, but provide personal insight into the person or organization’s impact. Sometimes quantity can be impressive, too. I recently reviewed a nomination for a professor to receive an honour, which included several dozen letters of support from former students.

In the end, award juries and architects who participate in awards programs are supporting a common goal: to recognize the highest quality architecture and the industry’s most forward-looking practices and individuals. The effect, one hopes, is a progressive raising of the bar for architects, clients, and the culture of architecture in Canada.

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WINNER OF THE 2024 RAIC ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE AWARD

Founded by Heather Dubbeldam, a fourth-generation architect, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has developed a reputation for innovative, beautifully crafted, and environmentally responsible projects that embody the spirit of place and people. Dubbeldam’s core values are deeply rooted in social impact, pursued through excellence in design and in practice, as well as through research and leadership. The studio’s diverse portfolio represents a wide range of project types that are unified in their commitment to design excellence and includes architecture and interiors in many sectors, spanning from residential, workspaces, hospitality, and mixed-use to landscape design and architectural installations.

A thread that carries through Dubbeldam’s projects is a desire to improve the public realm, not only through built work, but also through practice-based research and advocacy. 

In 2016, Dubbeldam received the Professional Prix de Rome award from the Canada Council for the Arts for their research project titled “The Next Green: Innovation in Sustainable Design.” This award allowed the studio to travel to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to study the most advanced sustainable approaches developing in Scandinavia, gaining valuable insights applicable to the Canadian climate. This firsthand field research deeply influenced the practice’s approach and process. The studio has also actively disseminated these best practices, including through principal Heather Dubbeldam’s speaking engagements across Canada advocating for social and environmental sustainability, climate-positive developments, and urban resilience.

An unexpected learning from Scandinavian architects was their emphasis on the concept of social sustainability, emphasizing liveability, particularly in urban environments. Dubbeldam’s projects explore liveability by bringing the outside in, providing green vistas, maximizing natural light, and establishing physical connections to outdoor spaces. This commitment is notably evident in the studio’s single-family and multi-unit residential projects, where outdoor living spaces are seamlessly integrated across various levels, creating living areas directly linked to their surroundings and simultaneously expanding usable space. Biophilic design principles are consistently woven into their projects, ensuring that wellness features—including a palette of natural materials and access to natural light and ventilation—contribute to the promotion of occupant health and wellbeing, whether in single homes or commercial interiors.

Dubbeldam owns and operates their own building, which also exemplifies principles of environmental and social sustainability in its design. In addition to Dubbeldam’s studio, it includes a coffee shop, coworking space for creatives, and a marketing agency, and has been a catalyst for urban renewal in the neighbourhood.

Even on large-scale projects like the Bata Shoe Factory renovation (designed in collaboration with BDP Quadrangle), which was transformed into a mixed-use community hub featuring residential units, academic spaces, retail, and a daycare, the most advanced sustainable measures were employed. The building’s heating and cooling systems are powered entirely by an extensive geothermal system, while the preservation of the original concrete structure significantly reduces the project’s embodied carbon footprint.

Dubbeldam’s current research is focused on the development of missing middle housing typologies and pilot projects. This focus garnered attention from Sidewalk Labs, which led to a commissioned exploration of flexible housing models using modular construction, including co-living and adaptable housing. It has also resulted in the firm being commissioned to design projects for missing middle rental developers constructing small-scale multi-unit buildings in neighbourhoods and exploring alternative exit strategies. Dubbeldam played a pivotal role in the development of the City of Toronto’s inaugural missing middle housing pilot project led by CreateTO in 2023, focusing on low-carbon approaches and meeting the highest environmental standards (Toronto Green Standard V4, Tier 3). 

Engagement and outreach have been core elements of Dubbeldam’s practice. Since 2008, Heather Dubbeldam has led Twenty + Change, a non-profit, volunteer-run organization established to expose and disseminate the work of a new generation of Canadian architects and designers through an ongoing exhibition and publication series. Heather has led four editions of Twenty + Change that, in all, have promoted and disseminated the work of over 100 emerging architecture practices. A fifth edition is currently underway, in collaboration with Canadian Architect. This has had a positive—and in some cases, profound—impact on the success of these practices across the country.

Dubbeldam is the coordinator for Toronto’s Park(ing) Day, part of a global, public participatory art project that takes place annually on the third weekend of September. Around the world, people temporarily repurpose on-street, boulevard or lot parking spaces and convert them into tiny parks and places for art, play, and activism. In addition to hosting an annual Park(ing) Day event at their studio’s building, Dubbeldam facilitates and promotes Park(ing) Day events from other local groups and individuals across the city.

Heather and other Dubbeldam team members have been actively engaged in leadership roles with the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) for over two decades. Dubbeldam’s involvement has included the production of the award-winning TSA Toronto Architecture Guide Map, widely distributed in Toronto and beyond. Heather and firm director Kevin McIntosh spearheaded the development of the TSA Architecture Walking Tours program, still growing in its 14th year. Members of the firm have a history of involvement in other organizations including Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT), Doors Open Toronto, the Design Industry Advisory Committee, the Ontario Association of Architects Council and Committees, alongside past and current participation in numerous grassroots events and activities.

Dubbeldam has been featured in, or created, public architectural installations at the Interior Design Show and at the Architecture Gallery at Harbourfront Centre, most notably with Pop-up Office, an installation showcasing flexible workspaces created entirely from recycled wood pallets, and the interactive installation pull.push.slide.pivot.lift.tilt.turn. In 2023, Dubbeldam was invited to exhibit its housing research at Time Space Existence, an exhibition hosted by the European Cultural Centre in Venice, Italy, as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale. Dubbeldam’s research work on incremental density was featured alongside eight other women-led architecture practices from around the world who focus on liveability in multi-unit urban housing.

Recognizing male dominance in the construction industry and the associated challenges for women in the engineering disciplines, in 2020 Dubbeldam initiated a policy regarding the inclusion of women professionals on their external consultant teams, with the intent to help foster a more inclusive and supportive working environment. The policy, which they refer to as “Women In Strategic Engagements (WISE),” stipulates that all consultant teams working on Dubbeldam projects must include a minimum of 50% female-identifying professionals. This initiative aims to provide women with enhanced professional opportunities within the field.

Dubbeldam’s work has been recognized with over 90 awards for design excellence, advocacy, and practice, including the OAA Best Emerging Practice award, the RAIC Advocate for Architecture award, the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome, and a number of Canada Green Building awards, OAA Design Excellence Awards, Azure AZ Awards, and Architizer awards.

Jury Comment :: Dubbeldam Architecture + Design is overdue for significant recognition as they have set an example for the breadth, critical sensibility, and sense of responsibility they bring to architectural practice and its social contexts. Their established office is known across Canada for their zeal and sincere belief in architecture as a tool for change. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design has an ongoing commitment to the profession at large through the quality of its work and significant advancements in equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

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WINNER OF THE 2024 RAIC EMERGING ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE AWARD

Peter Braithwaite Studio (PBS) is an architectural firm dedicated to designing and constructing environmentally sensitive buildings. ​With a focus on ecological principles and interdisciplinary collaboration, PBS aims to create sustainable built environments that integrate seamlessly with the natural world. ​

Led by Peter Braithwaite, an architect with a background in natural science, the studio brings a unique perspective to architectural practice. ​Peter’s upbringing in a family of veterinarians and his own studies in biology gave him a deep appreciation for the natural world. ​

At PBS, the team believes that buildings should be viewed as members of overarching ecological systems, rather than isolated design endeavours. They advocate for an approach that goes beyond energy efficiency and thermal properties, taking into account the larger context of habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss caused by human activity. ​Although we are faced with a growing housing crisis, the team takes the position that architects must work collaboratively with natural scientists and ecologists to develop sustainable housing solutions that can be implemented without the need for domineering construction practices that exclude the basic requirements of the natural environment.

Unlike traditional architectural firms, PBS acts as both the architectural team and the builders. Their interdisciplinary team works collaboratively from the initial project concept to the completion of the final building. This ensures not only that project concepts prioritize sustainability, but that the sequencing, methods, and logistics of construction are aligned with ecological principles. ​ 

In addition to their architectural projects, PBS is actively engaged in research pursuits. Peter Braithwaite is currently pursuing two doctorate degrees: one in the Interdisciplinary Doctorate Program at Dalhousie University, and another in the Doctor of Design program at the University of Calgary. ​His research at Dalhousie examines the relationship between the height of buildings from the ground and terrestrial biodiversity, with the goal of contributing public policy revisions and improvements in architectural planning standards. His research at the University of Calgary investigates how potable water cisterns, on-site disposal systems, and other required site services can be integrated into fully resolved prefabricated structural systems, with the intention to diminish construction’s impact on natural environments and increase ecological connectivity in built environments.

A dedication to teaching and education is another important aspect of PBS’s work. Peter Braithwaite has been actively involved in teaching at Dalhousie University’s School of Architecture, and his office was named Canadian Co-op Design Office of the Year by Dalhousie University in 2018. ​Peter’s future plans include developing curriculum that integrates ecological principles into architectural education, bridging the gap between natural science disciplines and architectural practice. ​

Jury Comment :: Peter Braithwaite Studio is becoming a leader in research and practice, with notable integration of PhD research. This young office has developed guiding principles to address the challenges of our time with a focus on preserving biodiversity and minimizing the destruction of ecosystems. Their work is impressive and beautifully executed, embodying the quality needed for the future of architecture in Canada.

In his leadership of the practice, Braithwaite also understands the new challenges of the practice, namely sustainability, and the level of dedication necessary to formalize high-quality architecture from conceptualization to realization. His involvement in teaching and in the community also illustrates his continuous focus with advocating for architecture in Canada.

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WINNER OF THE 2024 RAIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AWARD

Patkau Design Lab is the research and fabrication wing of Patkau Architects. More than simply a workshop, it engages in speculative experiments that test the potential of new ways of working with common materials. Through iterative development, attention to detail, and a refined aesthetic, this experimental work has evolved into fully realized furniture pieces, pavilions, and building elements.

The lab believes that understanding material, force, and form at a deep level is essential for architectural innovation. ​Its inaugural project, Winnipeg Skating Shelters, was inspired by the way a small plastic satchel, made of two flat sheets, expands when gently squeezed into an appealing volumetric form. The lab simulated this deformation with sheets of plywood, then expanded the exercise with multiple sheets to create larger volumes and more sophisticated compound curving surfaces.

Turning to more robust materials, the lab began applying the same techniques to thin sheets of stainless steel, eventually developing the OneFold sculptures (winner of the RAIC Innovation Award, 2015). These self-structuring vaults were derived from a bending process that the lab had to invent, because no available steel worker believed it could be done. The technique was evolved to create Cocoons, a series of steel pavilions for the Comme des Garçons store in Tokyo’s Ginza district.

The challenge of shipping the Cocoons led to the insight that a single straight seam-line could be found in what was otherwise a compound curving surface. This led the team to study warped surfaces composed of rule lines, similar to the curves formed by straight lines in DNA’s double-helix structure. They found that these rule lines could be rendered in standard timber units to create exceptional forms. These materialized in the design proposal for Daegu Gosan Public Library, the petal-like walls of the Temple of Light in Kootenay Bay, BC (2018), and the tree canopy-inspired ceiling of Arbour House, in Victoria, BC (2024).

Further experimentation stemming from the Winnipeg Skating Shelters resulted in Twist Chair, which appears as a single bent piece of plywood, but is in fact two nested pieces to give the construction hidden structural depth. Attempts to hybridize Twist Chair with Onefold resulted in the Spingfold Chair, whose sweeping curves result from the spring-like elastic deformation of the steel. The discovery that this chair was difficult to manufacture led to the idea to surround the steel with leather, and then to the embedding of metal anchors within formed and laminated leather—the basis for the Joey Stool.

While pursuing its research, Patkau Design Lab has made numerous efforts to open its methodologies and perspectives to the public, students, and practitioners. This outreach has included articles, lectures, presentations, workshops, and the book Material Operations (Princeton Architectural Press, 2017), which chronicle their thinking and processes. The intent is for this outreach to be generative, providing tools and inspiration for others to find their own innovations. 

Jury Comment :: Patkau Design Lab is a Canadian architectural practice that has developed a system of enquiry over years of research, affirming the value of curiosity, close observation of materials, and imagination. They articulate their principles and position relative to the profession, situating themselves within the discipline with rigour and a critical awareness of the development of current types and methods of innovation and their implications. Their work challenges Canadian architecture and modernism through material explorations and formal innovations.

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Winner of the 2024 RAIC Advocate for Architecture Award

Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT) was founded in 2015 as a grassroots initiative to promote equity for women and historically marginalized people in the architecture profession. BEAT’s mandate is to create lasting systemic and transformational change with purpose-driven action, openness, compassion, and respect.

Since its founding, BEAT has helped chart a path for other Canadian organizations focused on holding difficult conversations pertaining to race and societal stereotypes in the design community, including the Black Architects + Interior Designers Association (BAIDA) and the Society of South Asian Architects (SOSA). As these organizations have become established, BEAT’s current mandate has shifted towards carrying an emphasis on women in the profession, though the topics and themes of its programming remain universal, and its events welcome diverse audiences. Guided by the belief that empowering women improves and enriches the practice of architecture, the built environment, and ultimately the human condition, BEAT creates opportunities for community-building activities, advocacy, networking, and mentorship.

In the past nine years, BEAT has expanded its initiatives and activities and has grown to include a robust Executive and Advisory committee comprised of dedicated architects, designers, leaders, academics, and entrepreneurs volunteering their time for a shared cause. BEAT has developed and programmed more than 110 initiatives, including five Leadership Seminars, five Forums, 42 Talks, ten Mixes, three Workshops, and 27 Special Events, among others. The organization has provided a platform for 90+ national and international guest speakers and experts to share knowledge, personal stories, and lessons from the field, advancing the discourse on equity, diversity, and inclusion. “No complaining” is BEAT’s unwritten rule, with the focus primarily on levelling inequities through powerful actions.

BEAT’s activities initially aimed to address prevalent inequities and challenges, encompassing issues such as limited opportunities and unconscious bias, as well as challenges related to attrition at a critical point in the careers of women architects, the wage gap, and a lack of women mentors. Over time, BEAT’s initiatives have expanded to include a nuanced exploration of topics such as achieving work-life balance, managing parenting with the demands of our profession, cultivating one’s voice, improving soft skills, and fostering leadership. Today, BEAT plays a pivotal role in connecting aspiring professionals with industry leaders, nurturing professional development and offering clear opportunities for mentorship, which were limited in the past.

Founded in Toronto in 2015, BEAT has emerged as a force in Canadian architectural discourse, making a significant contribution to national architecture.

Jury Comment :: BEAT has established itself as a significant voice supporting equity in the architecture profession. As a group, they highlight the structural inequalities that continue to disadvantage women, inspire us to reflect and to action for change. Their discussions and perspectives connect and centre human dimensions for a better way forward and their enthusiastic encouragement and mentorship of young female architects as they navigate a demanding profession is vital.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE Heather Dubbeldam (Dubbeldam Architecture + Design), Elsa Lam (Canadian Architect), Shirley Blumberg (KPMB Architects), Nina Boccia (KPMB Architects), Betsy Williamson (Williamson Williamson), Camille Mitchell (SvN Architects + Planners), Kyra Clarkson (Kyra Clarkson Architect), Valerie Gow (Gow Hastings Architects), Brigitte Shim (Shim-Sutcliffe Architects), Carol Phillips (Moriyama Teshima Architects), Sonia Ramundi (Zed-G Architects), Stephanie Hosein (Omar Gandhi Architect)

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jennifer Esposito (Toronto Metropolitan University, Place of Work Architecture Studio), Ramona Adlakha (KPMB Architects), Angela Gou (KPMB Architects), Melanie Rank (BDP Quadrangle), Mahsa Malek (Syracuse University), Kiana Mozayyan (University of Toronto), Maya Mahgoub-Desai (OCAD University, Moriyama Teshima Architects), Safoura Zahedi (Safoura Zahedi Studio), Vineetha Sivathasan (RAW Design), Persis Lam (Diamond Schmitt Architects), Dimitra Papantonis (Architecture Counsel)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Andrea Bancod

CURRENT VOLUNTEERS Mariam Abdelrahman, Neha Bhargava, Laura Fiset, Snober Khan, Chaitanya Krishna Kumar, Shivathmikha Kumar, Vannary Lyboun, Caileigh MacKella, Andrea Mata Celis, Tshanda Mbuyi, Romina Mehrbod, Giovanna Monaco, Mouna Naoui, Callista Permana, Samantha Tam, Treya Vyas, Elaine Welsher, Angela Yue Gou 

PAST ADVISORY AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Meg Graham (Superkul), Pat Hanson (*gh3), Ana Maria Llanos (Diamond Schmitt Architects), Eladia Smoke (Smoke Architecture), Jane Wolff (University of Toronto), Illana Altman (The Bentway), Joy Charbonneau (Gensler), Louise Clavin, Alena Crowne (Lemay), Rachel Cyr (KPMB Architects), Timea Jakab, Rebecca Lai (Metrix), Fotini Pitoglou (Forrec), Sharon Philip (SRM Architect), Shawna Seligman (gh3*), Danielle Whitley (SvN Architects + Planners)

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The Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) has announced the winning projects of its Prix d’excellence en architecture 2024.

Eleven projects were honoured at a gala event hosted by Jean-René Dufort, which was held at Espace St-Denis in Montreal. Four awards were also presented to individuals, firms or organizations who displayed a commitment to inclusive, quality architecture in Quebec.

The Grand Prix d’excellence en architecture was awarded to Phase 3 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, in the Capitale-Nationale region. Designed by Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker, this project was carried out on a site both steeped in history and disfigured in recent decades. In the eyes of the jury, it represents architectural and landscaping feat. This new segment of the Promenade has restored access to the St. Lawrence River, and has succeeded in shaping a variety of atmospheres with elegance and subtlety. The designers have demonstrated an exhaustive mastery of the site’s historical heritage, drawing inspiration from the area’s old lumber yards and maritime industry.

The Complexe multisport de Saint-Georges won the People’s Choice Award. This project by ABCP Architecture stood out for its environmental and social aspects. The project’s energy performance exceeds conventional standards and is an eloquent example of this type of building in the region.

The Medal of Merit, the OAQ’s highest distinction for an individual, was awarded to architect Julia Gersovitz, co-founder of the firm EVOQ Architecture. Her career illustrates a dedication to the establishment of a culture of excellence in heritage conservation, both in Quebec and beyond its borders. Her work on buildings such as Maison Alcan, Gare Jean-Talon, the West Block of the Canadian Parliament, and Gare Union Station bear witness to the exceptional mastery of heritage preservation and rehabilitation.

Architecture sans frontières Québec (ASFQ) was awarded the Social Commitment prize for its outstanding work towards community well-being. For over 16 years, the organization and its volunteer members have imagined concrete solutions to the most pressing social challenges, and created spaces that foster equity and inclusion. ASFQ has carried out over 50 interventions here and elsewhere to benefit vulnerable populations, including communities and the homeless.

The Emerging Firm award was given to Épigraphe. Known for its hyper-collaborative approach, this firm promotes the emergence of inspiring, responsible, inclusive, caring and sustainable architecture. The firm’s location in Beloeil, just outside the major urban centers, reflects its strong commitment to balanced development and sensitivity to the specific needs of different communities.

The Ambassador for Quality in Architecture Award went to Kollectif, a fixture on the Quebec architectural scene architectural landscape for the past 18 years. This distinction underscores the team’s commitment to the promotion of architecture, while underscoring the central role it plays in creating and strengthening ties  within the architectural community. The organization’s #QUIESTLARCHITECTE campaign makes a bold contribution to raising the profile of architecture.

The Prix d’excellence en architecture 2024 jury was chaired by architect Gilles Saucier (Saucier+Perrotte). It also included architects Gil Hardy (NÓS), Renée Mailhot (La Shed) and André Potvin, retired professor at Laval University’s School of Architecture. Finally, Angela Konrad of Usine C contributed to the selection process as a public representative.

The following is a list ofthe 2024 winning projects.

Grand Prix d’excellence:

Promenade Samuel-de Champlain – Phase 3

Design: Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker
Client: Commission de la Capitale-Nationale
Location: Quebec City (Capitale-Nationale)
Photos: Adrien Williams, Maxime Brouillet, Stephane Groleau

Prix d’excellence:

Design: Pelletier de Fontenay
Customer: City of Montreal
Location: Montreal (Montreal)
Photos: James Brittain

Station L

Design: Jean-Maxime Labrecque, architect
Customer: Izadpanah Brothers Holding Company inc.
Location: Westmount (Montreal)
Photos: Jean-Maxime Labrecque, Simon Lachapelle

Distillerie du St.Laurent

Design: Atelier Pierre Thibault et ultralocal architectes
Customer: Distillerie du St.Laurent
Location: Rimouski (Bas-Saint-Laurent)
Photos: Maxime Brouillet Maxime Brouillet

The Port of Montreal Tower

Design: Provencher_Roy
Customer : Montreal Port Authority
Location: Montreal (Montreal)
Photos: Olivier Blouin, Nanne Springer, James Brittain, Stéphane Brugger

Micro-Cabine – Méandre

Design: Appareil Architecture
Customer: Pascale Villeneuve Pascale Villeneuve
Location: La Tuque (Mauricie)
Photos: Félix Michaud Félix Michaud

Cité Angus Phase II

Design: Ædifica
Customer: Société de développement Angus
Location: Montreal (Montreal)
Photos: David Boyer David Boyer

ÎLOT ROSEMONT

Design: Lapointe Magne et associés
Client: Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal
Location: Montreal (Montreal)
Photos: David Boyer

École de l’Étincelle (Lab-École)

Design: Agence Spatiale, Appareil Architecture and BGLA architecture
Customer: Centre de services scolaires des Rives-du-Saguenay
Location: Chicoutimi (Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean)
Photos: Maxime Brouillet

La boîte à lumière

Design: _naturehumaine
Customer: Joël Beaulieu
Location: Montreal (Montreal)
Photos: Ronan Mézière

Prix du public:

Complexe multisport de Saint-Georges

Design: ABCP architecture in consortium with Marie-Lise Leclerc architecte + Bilodeau Baril Leeming architects
Client: Centre de services scolaires Beauce-Etchemin and Ville de Saint-Georges
Location: Saint-Georges (Chaudière-Appalaches)
Photos: Stephane Groleau

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The biannual National Urban Design Awards program was established in 2006, through a partnership between the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. For the past 18 years, it has aimed to recognize the achievements of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects involving architects, planners, landscape architects, and other disciplines in creating places that enhance the quality of life in Canadian communities.

Submissions to the award include the winning projects from city-led Urban Design Award programs across Canada, as well as submissions received at-large.

The 12 winning projects that follow showcase the highest achievements of Canadian architecture, landscape architecture, and planning in working together to create people-centered spaces for our country’s diverse urban communities.

ESPLANADE TRANQUILLE 

Les architectes FABG et Fauteux et associés architectes paysagistes

LOCATION Montreal, Quebec

CATEGORY Civic Design

Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles stands out among North American theatre districts with its innovative use of outdoor spaces for free, year-round artistic events. The last phase of Daoust Lestage’s ambitious masterplan to manage and develop the district’s network of public spaces is FABG and Fauteux et associés architectes paysagistes’ Esplanade Tranquille.

The project transforms a 5,000-square-metre vacant lot at the corner of St. Catherine and Clark Streets into an all-season public space. A linear service building borders the Esplanade, while the main plaza is occupied by an outdoor concert area in summer festival season and a refrigerated skating rink in the winter. On the north side, a section of the plaza accommodates a mobile stage. Moveable planters and furniture invite activity into the plaza, while allowing for easy conversion into an open-air performance venue. Completing the composition, trees planted at the perimeter limit the heat island effect.

The service pavilion is an assemblage of CLT wood boxes over a post-and-beam concrete plinth. Folding glass walls open the building’s ground floor to the plaza, and allow access to heated terraces on the first floor. The building also includes a green roof planted with an herb and vegetable garden used for the Esplanade’s restaurant. Geothermal wells under the rink’s surface provide energy to heat and cool the building, and waste heat is recaptured from the compressors of the rink’s refrigeration system.

Jury Comment :: Esplanade Tranquille is a very well executed all-season space that becomes a collective gathering space for the active public to congregate. The design team’s collaboration is apparent in the flow between interior and exterior spaces and the animated level of activity day and night. This once derelict space has been transformed and brought to life with its moveable planters and furniture and vibrant, year-round activities. The idea of a metropolis with a diverse and rich central public place combining exterior and interior spaces is a visionary innovation worth recognizing.

CLIENT City of Montreal | ARCHITECT TEAM Éric Gauthier (FRAIC), Marc-Antoine Fredette, Amandine Mortka, Vincent Désy, Steve Montpetit, Catherine Doyon-Couturier, Pierre Joly, Giselle Bouron, Roberto Pareja, Anna Kreplak | CONTRACTOR TEQ Inc. | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Fauteux et associés | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/CIVIL/STRUCTURAL WSP | REFRIGERATION Petropoulous, Bomis et Associés | URBAN FURNITURE Alto Design and Dikini | INTERIORS Zébulon Perron | THEATRE Sceno plus | AREA 4,959 m2 (Interior); 5,400 m2 (exterior) | BUDGET $51.7 M | COMPLETION January 2022

SΘQLXENM TS’EXWTS’ÁXWI7 (RAINBOW PARK) 

DIALOG

LOCATION Vancouver, British Columbia

CATEGORY Civic Design

The name of this new park, sqlxenm ts’exwts’áxwi7, was gifted by Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and recognizes the site as a soft place known for abundant water where sun and mist danced around marshlands forming rainbows. Historically, it became a popular destination for the LGBTQIA+ community before being levelled for parking. 

The vision to revive the site as the Vancouver Park Board’s first new park in a decade was grounded in collaboration with the surrounding downtown communities. The result is an innovative, high-capacity, three-dimensional community space within a dense downtown that encourages relationships between shared histories and land. This was achieved through the creation of multilevel, multigenerational space; playful grading and experiential low impact design; and careful selection of culturally relevant plants. 

Three terraces negotiate the site’s 4.5-metre drop from north to south. As the land descends, a finely detailed bridge rises and zigzags above the urban world below. The lower terrace folds upwards into an urban amphitheatre and café around the multi-use plaza and houses the mechanical room. 

The dynamic design also includes Host Nation artwork, a bouldering zone, a twisting slide, built-in trampolines, urban hammocks, a multi-use splash pad, and rainwater-collecting pocket wetlands. Sweeps of meadow, woodland, and marshland are climate resilient and directly respond to the microclimates created by grade changes and the overhead walkway. An urban ecology arises that imprints traditional plants into the collective memory, promising a deeper connection to a shared and hopeful ecological future.

Jury Comment :: Rainbow Park is an exceptional example of a public engagement strategy with its tightly knit spaces intertwining neatly within the multi-level design. It’s a new way of imagining a public square within a context of high real estate densification. 

The metaphor of water and light through a rainbow expresses an idea that connects the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations together, while also speaking to the public using the space. A strong collaboration across the design team is evident, and the integration of native plant materials was completed thoughtfully. The garden shows how design can express the importance of change and reconciliation.  

The park seamlessly recognizes and integrates the history and presence of Indigenous life in Vancouver. The walkway offers a unique view of the city and neighbourhood, while the experience of walking through it is similar to the New York City High Line on a smaller scale.

CLIENT Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation ARCHITECT AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TEAM Joost Bakker (FRAIC), Jill Robertson (FCLSA), James Godwin, Brady Dunlop (MRAIC), Dan Guenter, Paul Giles, Ryan McClanaghan, Stephanie Fargas Amador, Matthew Thomson, Mandy Yu, Steven Oosterhof, Thomas Wu, Cameron Franchuk, Graeme Johnston, Dan Prescott, Keith McDonnell, Andre O’Neill, Elizabeth Hand, George Unger, Elizabeth Orallo, Katherine Hurst | CIVIL WSP Canada ELECTRICAL AES Engineering | MECHANICAL/STRUCTURAL DIALOG ENVELOPE Elemental | CODE LMDG PLAY EarthScape | INTERIOR (CAFÉ) Scott Cohen | AREA 3,237 m2 (site) | BUDGET $13.8 M | COMPLETION April 2022

MAISONNEUVE LIBRARY RESTORATION AND EXTENSION

EVOQ Architecture + civiliti

LOCATION Montreal, Quebec

CATEGORY Urban Architecture

The new Maisonneuve Library forms an urban and architectural ensemble centered around the Cité de Maisonneuve’s former City Hall, built in 1912 by architect Joseph-Cajetan Dufort. The municipal building was occupied by various institutions until it became part of the public library network in 1981, and in 2017, a multidisciplinary design competition was launched in order to upgrade and expand the facility. The winning team was a consortium of Montreal firms led by EVOQ Architecture and Dan Hanganu Architects (now part of EVOQ) with the collaboration of urban design and landscape firm civiliti. 

One of the most important decisions taken by the architectural team was to rehabilitate the historic building and bring it back to its original splendour. The project also includes the addition of two contemporary wings carefully aligned with the heritage building, and the creation of a distinctive landscape that erases the boundary between the public realm and the institution’s private grounds. Thyme ‘carpets’, granite furniture, a sunken garden, and a subtle pattern of grey pavers create a dignified setting for the old City Hall, and harmonize with the library’s resolutely contemporary wings. The project extends to include the urban spaces adjacent to the library and the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve, as well as Place Ernest-Gendreau at the back of the library. 

The project’s architectural, urban, and landscape design mark this cultural hub as an important and accessible public space on Ontario Street. 

Jury Comment :: The restoration and enhancement of Maisonneuve Library is a beautiful execution of the merging of old and new, heritage and modern, civic and public space and a thoughtful landscape solution to complement the building. The project reflects a sensitive understanding of the urban and social history of the area, while the consideration of materials and grand scale of the project solidify it as a true landmark within the city. 

From the architectural expressions to the landscape details tying the site together, this is a very inviting place and a great celebration of civic investment in a community.

CLIENT City of Montreal, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Borough DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS Gilles Prud’homme, Peter Soland, Sylvie Peguiron, Marianne Leroux, Nathan Godlovitch, Anne-Catherine Richard, Lynda Labrecque, Alexis Charbonneau, Georges Drolet, Fannie Duguay-Lefebvre, David Murray, Etienne Ostiguy, Martine Vincent, Jean-François Bédard | BUILDING ENVELOPE ULYS Collectif | STRUCTURE NCK | CIVIL Génipur | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL Pageau Morel BUILDING | ENVELOPE/QUALITY CONTROL UL CLEB | ELEVATOR EXIM DOOR HARDWARE/BUILDING COMMISSIONING Cima+ | FURNITURE, WAYFINDING, MULTIMEDIA GSM Project | ERGONOMICS Vincent Ergonomie | LIGHTING LightFactor | SUSTAINABILITY WSP | ACOUSTICS Octav | HISTORIC DOORS, METAL M&B Métalliers | MOSAIC Artès Métiers d’art ORNAMENTAL PLASTERS Plâtres Artefact | MASONRY Maçonnerie Rainville et Frères RESTORER, MASONRY Trevor Gillingwater | STONE CUTTERS Alexandre, Tailleurs de pierres + sculpteurs | STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS Studio du verre ARTIST | PUBLIC ART WORK Clément de Gaulejac | BUDGET $33.6 M | AREA 4,138 m2 | COMPLETION December 2023

STADIUM STATION

GEC Architecture

LOCATION Edmonton, Alberta

CATEGORY Urban Architecture

One of Edmonton’s original five LRT stations, the 1970s Stadium Station no longer met the community’s evolving needs or the city’s long-term
development goals. Extensive physical barriers, inward-facing and enclosed public areas, and grade-separated station access contributed to challenges in providing a safe and accessible experience. 

GEC Architecture (GEC)’s design transformed the transit infrastructure from a barrier between communities into something that stitches them together, instigating urban rejuvenation and vibrant redevelopment.

The new station and its supporting infrastructure integrate into the public realm, serving as an armature to realize the Stadium Station Area Redevelopment Plan’s goals of creating a sustainable transit-oriented community. Key to this integration was creating a contiguous urban realm that flows around and through the station, yielding seamless connectivity and visual permeability. A central plaza, which is universally and visually accessible at grade from every direction, has become a meeting place for the community.

Much of the original station remains intact as part of the new infrastructure, with the original underground concourse converted to back-of-house spaces and emergency egress routes. At the surface, the facility was converted from a grade-separated, centre-loaded platform to an at-grade, side-loaded station. Reconstruction of the station was achieved while maintaining continuous transit operations—a feat requiring exemplary interdisciplinary coordination.

Before GEC’s design intervention, Stadium Station was one of the top three facilities in the city for police and enforcement calls; it is now among the top three safest facilities in the Edmonton system.

Jury Comment :: Stadium Station is a very bright and inviting celebration of transit investment needed to reconnect a community to transit and upgrade the rider experience. It is a sensitive and thoughtful response to existing urban issues and is commended for its design emphasis on an infrastructure building.

 As a new piece of the public realm and an integral part of the community, this project acknowledges the value of design. The contemporary forms, strong landscape moves, public plazas, and bold public gestures together make this project feel like a bright and inviting public space. The playfulness of the colour and the strong linear lines help unite this piece of the city and lift the overall experience.

CLIENT City of Edmonton ARCHITECT TEAM MEMBERS Gary Mundy, Tyson Bolduc, Rob Wenarchuk, Charles Fung, Tim Morasch, Shayne Yap, Kyla Hall, Ethan Cohen | STRUCTURAL Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/CIVIL (PHASE 2+3) Stantec | COMMUNICATIONS/LRT SIGNALS/LRT TRACK Stantec | SIGNALS COMMISSIONING Hatch | LANDSCAPE ISL Engineering | TRACTION POWER Platinum Engineering | CROSSING SAFETY WSP | BUDGET $45 M | AREA 7,000 m2 (including platforms, plazas, transit centre, pedestrian connections and landscaping) | COMPLETION December 2022

QUEEN’S MARQUE

MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects (Design Architect and Urban Design) with FBM Architects (Prime Consultant)

LOCATION Halifax, Nova Scotia

CATEGORY Urban Architecture

Queen’s Marque was born from the developer’s desire to build a significant Canadian landmark that would be created by Nova Scotians, for Nova Scotians. Through deliberate planning and sensitive design, Queen’s Marque is conceived as a district, with the aim to contribute to Halifax’s downtown urban fabric. 

The design devotes 70 percent of the site to open public space, and includes the city’s first significant public gathering place along the harbour. Multiple passages through the buildings make the development highly porous to the public, including lending direct access into the water via a riverside staircase.

The design began by moving parking underground and developing a mixed-use program to keep the site active 24/7. The configuration of the complex preserves views to the historic citadel, extends the civic grid to the water, repairs and completes the pedestrian boardwalk along the shoreline, and establishes a protected micro­climate. Materials speak to the local vernacular, and the development includes many site-specific art installations that reference the harbour’s history and the local environment.

Queen’s Marque has been designed to meet LEED Platinum standards. The development saves on cooling costs by using the frigid water of the harbour in a seawater loop. In anticipation of sea level rise, the ground level of the project has been raised, but remains engaged with the surrounding pedestrian experience. 

Jury Comment :: Queen’s Marque is a well-executed project demonstrating the balance between subtle architectural forms and open space where the city meets the water. The placement of buildings, the access to the water at Queen’s Landing, and the ambitious energy modelling using the local seawater all contribute to the meaningful relationship to the waterfront. The thoughtful consideration of climate change and how water meets the land is notable, as is how the local place, culture and design are expressed in the specifics of the Halifax environment. The thoughtfulness put into bringing this site to life is commendable. The project reflects the collaboration of various experts and is anchored in its history and geography. The project reveals the genius of the place and reflects a sensitivity to history, place, communities, art, and poetry.

DEVELOPER AND MASTER BUILDER Armour Group Limited (Scott Armour McCrea) | ARCHITECT TEAM MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects—Brian MacKay-Lyons, Shane Andrews, Will Perkins, Rimon Soliman, Izak Bridgman, Tyler Reynolds. FBM Architects—George Cotaras, Wayne Duncan | STRUCTURAL Campbell Comeau Engineering Ltd. | MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL M + R Engineering | LANDSCAPE Fathom Studio and Brackish Design Studio; Queen’s Landing Staircase—MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects (Concept Design) and Fathom Studio (Detailing) | BUILDER Armour Group Limited in joint venture with Bird Construction | URBAN DESIGN MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects | INTERIORS Muir Hotel—Studio Munge; Lobbies, core and residences—MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects |  PUBLIC ART Tidal Beacon—Ned Kahn, Heavy Industries & MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects; The Sirens’ calling—John Greer; Water—Thaddeus Holownia; The Light Chocks—MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects with Heavy Industries; Sail—Tresoldi Studio | AREA 41,800 m2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION Spring 2023

DOWNSVIEW FRAMEWORK PLAN

Henning Larsen (urban design); KPMB Architects (architecture); SLA (landscape); Urban Strategies Inc. (planning)

LOCATION Toronto, Ontario

CATEGORY Urban Design Plans

People, place, and nature come together in this vision that will transform 520 acres of brownfield in Toronto into complete, connected communities. Downsview will become home to over 80,000 residents and create over 40,000 jobs. The Framework Plan will involve the design of 100 acres of new parkland, 1.2 million square meters of commercial and light industrial real estate, and 50,000 new units of housing across the full spectrum of affordability.

With the closure of Downsview Airport, the site—bisected by a regional commuter rail corridor, and with three major transit stations at its perimeter—represents one of the most significant city-building opportunities in North America. The vision is centered on adapting the airport runway as a two-kilometre-long, pedestrian-focused open space lined by active uses and interspersed with large urban parks. New public realm elements create connections to the city’s ravine system and surrounding open spaces. 

The Plan contributes to Toronto’s goal of a low-carbon future by delivering density at a comfortable, predominantly mid-rise scale. This approach to density takes advantage of existing transit investments and supports local opportunities to live, work and play. Walking and cycling are encouraged via the reimagined runway and a network of streets and spaces that prioritize active mobility. Climatic conditions and outdoor comfort guide decisions about block orientation, street alignments, and building massing. Deploying “blue-green infrastructure,” the 100 acres of new parks, along with streetscapes, courtyards, and buildings, will work together as an integrated nature-based stormwater management system.

Jury Comment :: Converting one of the largest contiguous spaces in Toronto into a nature-first community is ambitious. The 520-acre brownfield area comes with a strong history of an airport and requires a thoughtful re-integration of the city fabric across the lands. An ambitious goal that has been crafted by input from citizens, it is an example of how sustainable development can occur. Big ideas and aspirations are well bundled into this master plan with a strong focus on nature in the city. The plan focuses on six fundamental principles: nature, equity, accessibility, people, sustainable development, and transit proximity. 

The framework plan demonstrates good analysis of the site and its context. The plan aims to incorporate sustainable principles, connect to its surroundings, integrate public transit into its design, and create walkable communities. This project is a demonstration of how a once-negative industrial site can be transformed into a valuable resource for future generations and should be used as an example for other municipalities.

CLIENT Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company | DESIGN TEAM Henning Larsen: Michael Sørensen, Santiago Orbea, Gregory Haley, Francis Aguillard, Evan Shieh, Grant McCracken. KPMB Architects: Kevin Bridgman, Laurence Holland, Sahana Dharmaraj, Shirley Blumberg, Bruce Kuwabara, Geoffrey Turnbull, Jonathan Graham, Nellie Jalal-Zadeh, Andy Barat. SLA: Rasmus Astrup, Salka Kudsk, Nicoline Heather Madsen, Alessia Cacopardo, Francisca Álvarez, Anne Sofie Sørensen, Kristine Kjørup Rasmussen. Urban Strategies Inc.: Emily Reisman, Frank Lewinberg, Michel Trocme, Christine Fang-Dennisov, Giuseppe Tolfo | MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE ARUP | SUSTAINABILITY/CLIMATE RESILIENCE Ramboll | SUSTAINABILITY Purpose Building | PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Third Party Public, Department of Words and Deeds | INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT Nibisiing Consulting Inc. EQUITY ADVISORS Monumental Projects Inc. | COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN Future Simple Studio | TRANSPORTATION BA Group ENERGY Transsolar | AREA 520 acres | COMPLETION September 2021

EXCHANGE: REALIZING RIVERWALK WEST

groundcubed (Ground3 Inc.), HEREBY Architectural Inc., SIKOMH KOKOMII, Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd., Martinson Golly Ltd., RJC Engineering

LOCATION Calgary, Alberta

CATEGORY Urban Design Plans

The winner of the City of Calgary’s first public realm design competition, this proposal for the redevelopment of the south bank of the Bow River leverages a need for pathway connectivity to create a vibrant, inclusive public realm that responds to—and amplifies—its unique Bow River ecosystem context, while serving as a catalyst for broader civic transformation.

The plan’s “big moves” include strategically reconfiguring adjacent streets and consolidating underused parcels to re-acquire the river’s edge, softening the riverbank, balancing natural and urban eco-systems, and creating a dynamic pathway that undulates with the new topography. The design enhances wetland and fish habitats through ecosystem regeneration, and provides opportunities for Calgarians, and the city’s visitors, to view, access, and touch the Bow River. It does this all while satisfying the growing need for multi-modal connections to and through the city’s Downtown West.

The design approach and final proposal is shaped by traditional ways of knowing the land, shared by local Blackfoot Elders. From their stories, ideas of discovery, ceremony, gathering together from all over, art, exchange, and teaching emerged as significant to this place.

These ideas are central to the definition of six character areas, each with a unique approach to promoting thriving cultural and natural ecosystems: West Village Riparian Trail, Grassland Bowl, Main Street, Land Art Island, The Exchange, and Trickle Creek + Constructed Wetland.

“groundcubed’s design is very compelling, founded in the cultural and historical influences on the site and telling a story that recognizes everyone’s voice, both past and present,” wrote the City of Calgary’s design competition jury. “The concept is smart and thoughtful and meets all the key goals of the project.”

Jury Comment :: Building upon the Indigenous practice of meeting at the water’s edge, this master plan embraces the interplay between land and water, and keeping this as a car-free, active experience. The flow of circulation, creating spaces and diversity of experiences is well portrayed through plans and renderings.

RiverWalk West showcases rich cultural diversity and a coherence with existing public spaces, and demonstrates how multi-use pathways can connect a city. Respectful and ambitious, the project shows excellent sensitivity to context and community history. The richness of the spaces and the opportunities for exchange of ideas, stories and culture by the people who share the river is well expressed, and is an aspirational goal.

CLIENT City of Calgary DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS groundcubed: Greg Stewart, Emma Brodie, Michael Chamberlain, Jaimie Johnson, Benjamin Hettinga, Jonathan Sagi, Trent Workman, Andrea Kennedy, Justin Bhatia, Tessa Larsen. HEREBY: Matt Stewart, Yves Poitras, Michael Zabinski. SIKOMH KOKOMII: Jared Tailfeathers. Bunt & Associates: Glen Pardoe. Martinson Golly: Ryan Martinson. RJC Engineering: Kieran Gaston. BUDGET $40-55 M AREA 74,000 m2 COMPLETION OF PLAN September 2023

SKENNA TERRACE COMMUNITY PLAN

Perkins&Will with PWL Partnership Landscape Architects

LOCATION Vancouver, British Columbia

CATEGORY Urban Design Plans

Skeena Terrace is home to a diverse community on 4.4 hectares in Vancouver, and includes a terracing landscape designed by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, but its 1960s-era buildings require extensive repairs. The community plan to revitalize Skeena Terrace protects and enhances the site’s urban forest, while planning for new buildings that significantly increase the supply and diversity of affordable rental housing on the site. The plan envisages an equitable community with 1,930 new units, 60% of which will be family-oriented, within a 10-minute walk of Rupert Skytrain Station. 

Prioritizing tenant rights, the development minimizes off-site displacement and performs robust engagement to ensure needs are met and culture remains intact. The existing Thunderbird school and community centre are emphasized as the focal point to the neighbourhood, and enhanced through a new adjacent public plaza, childcare, and local-serving retail. At the heart of the plan, the “Skeena Hut”—an existing multi-purpose community facility—is recreated to anchor the redevelopment. 

In the new development, communal outdoor courtyards are sited around the existing open spaces and significant tree groves. These “neighbourhood rooms” are connected through a greenway and path network that privileges active mobility and accessibility. 

Buildings are contextually sensitive and sited to mitigate steep slopes and protect existing trees; below-grade, structures are set back from on-site water courses and significant trees. The design includes a centralized public space built around a celebrated watershed feature tracing the topography of the site. This landscape-driven approach results in building site coverage under 40%.

Jury Comment :: This intensive community plan, based on adding housing units, exemplifies a well thought-out relationship between buildings and open space. Skeena Terrace Community plan’s balance of community needs for facilities, open spaces, daycares, and urban agriculture exemplifies a people-centered approach to intensification. The plan is well-presented and executable, and can serve as a model for other communities with a similar history as they move forward and reinvent themselves.  

The master plan aims to transform a community into a transit-oriented one, with seamless connections to surrounding areas. The plan creates a hierarchy of open spaces that are framed by buildings and link to the larger open spaces. The overall design is well anchored in the values and objectives of our time.

CLIENT BC Housing ARCHITECT TEAM MEMBERS Joseph Browner, Xiangdi Cai, Long Dinh, David Dove, Andrew Gavel, Rossana Ho, Islam Ibrahim, Jason LeBlanc, Negin Shakibi, Kathy Wardle, Akiko Watanabe LANDSCAPE PWL Partnership PLANNING & ENGAGEMENT Modus Planning Design & Engagement LAND ECONOMICS Liveable City Planning Ltd. ACCESSIBILITY Level Playing Field Inc. CIVIL Binnie TRANSPORTATION Bunt Engineering AREA 43,170 m2 COMPLETION OF PLAN December 2023 ESTIMATED COMPLETION OF PROJECT 2027 (Phase 1)

THE RING / L’ANNEAU

CCxA Architectes paysagistes Inc.

LOCATION Montreal, Quebec

CATEGORY Urban Fragments

The recent revitalization of Place Ville Marie included the construction of a stairway between the historical McGill College Avenue and the elevated Esplanade—an element integral to architects Henry Cobb and I.M. Pei’s original 1962 design intention. CCxA was mandated to suspend a signature sculpture above this new threshold to signify a new urban gateway.

The Ring is a formal counterpoint to Place Ville Marie’s orthogonal purity. Scaled on the proportional constraints of the existing buildings, the circular form frames a view that encompasses 200 years of history, leading through the financial district and the McGill University campus, up to the Royal Victoria Hospital and the illuminated cross on Mont Royal. 

Although an unconventional work of landscape architecture, The Ring was realized through the unique strengths that are the hallmarks of the CCxA practice: blurring boundaries between design and art, placemaking through spatial arrangement, connecting an urban framework to prioritize the pedestrian experience, and coordinated across a diverse team of consultants and stakeholders. The landscape architects orchestrated and led an expert team made up of ten distinct disciplines who worked through continually emerging challenges. This spanned from metallurgy, vortex-induced oscillation, weld strengths, glass-bead sandblast finishes, and illumination on various metal finishes, to the complex choreography to precisely position and secure the 23-tonne, 30-metre-diameter object. The process also involved many cycles of risk assessment and myriad approvals, including from architect Henry Cobb’s office.

Embodying a deep love for Montreal, The Ring engages the public imagination and has already become an iconic part of Montreal’s cityscape.

Jury Comment :: The Ring is a simple, yet powerful, landmark in downtown Montreal. The project, situated in Place Ville Marie, is based on the historical development and urban structure of Montreal. The idea is clear, the expression is simple, and the execution is strong, demonstrating creative leadership and a significance in reconnecting the city to its past. This contemporary solution is applied with absolute clarity, serving as a key urban fragment that effectively unites time and space, while effectively framing various views of the city.

The Ring is an iconic work of urban art that strikes a balance between audacity, elegance, efficiency, and control while magnifying the experience of the city.

CLIENT Ivanhoé Cambridge | Landscape Architect Team  CCxA (formerly Claude Cormier et Associés): Claude Cormier, Sophie Beaudoin, Damien Dupuis, Yannick Roberge | Fabrication and Installation Advisor Claude Bernard – Formaviva Inc. | Lighting Designer Gilles Arpin – Ombrages / EP Éclairage Public | Structural Franz Knoll – NCK | Industrial Design Advisor Michel Dallaire | Masonry and Sealing COHÉSIO Architecture | Mechanical/Electrical Stantec | Technology Integration The Attain Group | Machining/Fabrication/Assembly Marmen Inc. | Tube Bending Bendtec | Building Work JCB Construction Canada | Wind RWDI | Electricity  Patrice Blain Entrepreneur Electricien | Blasting Sablage au Jet 2000 | Budget $5 M | Completion September 2022

BENTWAY STAGING GROUNDS

SHEEEP in partnership with Agency—Agency

LOCATION Toronto, Ontario

CATEGORY Urban Fragments

Transforming a vacant space below the Gardiner Expressway into a living laboratory, Bentway Staging Grounds collects and leverages runoff water from the highway above to irrigate large planters in the space below. These planters support the growth of diverse, flowering native plant species such as Milkweed, Agastache and Yarrow, while passive water filtration and retention helps to reduce the risk of local flooding. 

In order to track how the system is doing, monitoring technology in the experimental planters tests for water quality, flow volume, and soil health. This information informs ongoing maintenance requirements to keep the planters operational and provides valuable insight into how stormwater management can be improved across the Gardiner Expressway. 

The design for Bentway Staging Grounds introduces a network of ramps and elevated walkways that allow visitors to travel deep into the space as an extension of Canoe Landing Park to the north. These new pathways continue The Bentway’s ongoing efforts to transform the Expressway into a better connector for pedestrians and cyclists, celebrating their procession to surrounding waterfront parks and trail systems. 

Over the project’s two-year duration, The Bentway will commission artists to present original, rotating artworks on a series of scaffolding towers that line the site facing Lake Shore Boulevard West.

As a new type of public infrastructure, Bentway Staging Grounds cultivates a heightened awareness of the ways in which infrastructure and nature can collaborate under the Gardiner, blending art and education, public space and experimentation, and repositioning the Gardiner as a site of environmental regeneration.

Jury Comment :: An experiment in urban environmental change, ecology and runoff, this underutilized space has been recaptured into an expression of innovation and urban design. It is an excellent example of a cyclist and pedestrian space from a “leftover” part of a city and responds perfectly to the idea that good urban design projects must tackle abandoned spaces. 

Bentway Staging Grounds draws people from all parts of the city and all age groups with an interest in design and environment to learn about change and what is possible. It is a great example of how urban fragments can unite a city with infrastructure and human behaviour.

CLIENT The Bentway | Conservancy Robert McKaye, Jess Misak, Joshua Harskamp | DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS SHEEEP: Reza Nik, Sam Shahsavani, Connor Stevens. Agency—Agency: Tei Carpenter, Jake Rosenwald, Tanya Maneeintr | STORMWATER ENGINEERING Buro Happold | STORMWATER MONITORING Toronto & Region Conservation Authority | GRAPHIC DESIGN Neil Donnelly Studio | INDIGENOUS DESIGN & PLANTING Brother Nature | SCAFFOLD ENGINEERING S3 Specialized Scaffold Services | ADDITIONAL CONSULTING City of Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation; City of Toronto Engineering & Construction Services; City of Toronto Transportation Services | AREA 2,500 m2 | BUDGET $390 K | COMPLETION September 2023

KIDS REIMAGINE SCHOOL STREETS

SPECTACLE Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism, Sustainable Calgary, Everactive Schools, Toole Design, University of Calgary Faculty of Engineering

LOCATION Calgary, Alberta

CATEGORY Community Initiatives

What would streets look like if we built them for kids? This question guided Kids Reimagine School Streets, a collaboration between non-profit organizations, four elementary grade schools in three communities, university students, designers, fabricators, and local community members. The aim: to co-create safe, comfortable, and interesting routes to school; and to empower kids—and the rest of the community—to lower their carbon footprint by walking and biking for daily trips. Active travel reduces pollution and is understood to lead to improved physical and mental health, including better school grades.

This program took kids out of the back seat (figuratively and literally) and got them involved in planning low-carbon, healthy communities. It connected city builders with students’ point of view, and showed kids they can make a difference when it comes to climate change. 

Building on the momentum of collaborative co-design workshops, tactical urbanism interventions were implemented adjacent to the three schools, including the Connaught Play Street (2022), Meridian Active Alley (2022), and Martindale Calm Collector (2023). Each intervention encouraged more walking and biking by students and the larger community. Weekly pop-up activities took place at Connaught over the summers of 2022 and 2023, and provided free, family-friendly outdoor events. In addition to the shorter-term interventions, Neighbourhood Active Travel Networks (NATN) proposals were developed that set long-term visions for turning the three school communities into walkable, safe and welcoming places. The aesthetics for the design interventions and networks were inspired by the direction provided by the elementary grade school students, which included bright colours and patterns, and lots of trees and green.

Jury Comment :: When kids, non-profits, schools, teachers, students, parents, designers and fabricators collaborate to create safe and inclusive active spaces, it’s worth celebrating. It gives children a voice and shows them the importance of such spaces. They get exposed to the idea of designing for the future. The project demonstrates effective community collaboration to design safe and kid-friendly school streets, showcasing various examples and strategies implemented in Calgary.

This project stands out for its educational value and emphasizes a fundamental concept in the field: the quality of cities, their developments, and their architecture is dependent on the knowledge, culture, and vision of the people who inhabit them, imagine them, make laws, and ultimately make decisions. 

SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT/CLIENT Sustainable Calgary | TEAM MEMBERS Vlad Amiot, Jessie Andjelic, Lucia Blanco, Tracey Coutts,Dr. Alexandre de Barros, Tripty Kaur, David Kowel, Roxanne LeBlanc, Celia Lee, Katie Lore, Srimal Ranasinghe, Veronique Ulrich, Philip Vandermey and Vanessa Wang, Grade 4-6 Students at Calgary Islamic OBK, Ecole la Mosaique, Manmeet Singh Bhullar, Connaught School 

FIELDS AND FLOWS

Preston Stronach, Dalhousie University School of Architecture

ADVISOR Brian Lilley

CATEGORY Student Projects

This thesis project proposes a type of township development that integrates industry with water-based communities toward the promotion of healthy environments and nature-based infrastructural systems. The design site is centered on a kilometre-long section of a sediment-filled shallow river in the community of Fall River, Nova Scotia.

Surrounded by dense woodlands, and nestled between two freshwater lakes, the site is explored through the lenses of industry, inhabitation, and environment. Each is considered in the context of the broader Shubenacadie water system: a waterway that is under immense stress from its various functions, through serving urban centres and agriculture to hosting the world’s highest tides.

To integrate human habitation in an ecologically sensitive manner, new canal locks are proposed to manage water levels and control sediment. Sediment buildup is a major problem in the maintenance of canals and is primarily mitigated through periodic dredging operations. During a three-day, 100-kilometre canoe expedition on the waterway, hand-dredged sediment was collected from the locations of the proposed locks. The sediment was then later catalogued, dried, and recompressed to explore its potential use in the creation of construction components.

Building from this hands-on research, the design proposes a series of rammed earth structures, including a three-storey town centre, a lock-keeper’s house and studio, and an outdoor classroom. Within and around each building, water is recycled and runoff controlled through the use of greywater systems, permeable paving, strategically placed bioswales, and subgrade sand filters.

Through the harmonization of material use, environmental impact, and human habitation, the project proposes an architecture that integrates environmental management with our everyday lives.

Jury Comment :: A thoughtful and historic consideration of an important societal issue—how to protect waterways and promote a circular economy. The project considers how to use the waterway ecosystem infrastructure to benefit the environment while educating visitors about these benefits. The study covers the impact of a large ecosystem, and how it is manipulated and displayed at the point where the public can interact with the system to learn, explore and recreate. It demonstrates an ability to visualize topography on a large scale while remaining sensitive to historical and geographical context.

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The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has announced the jury for the Governor General’s Medals in Architecture.

The biennial awards recognize and celebrate excellence in recently built projects by Canadian architects. The 2024 competition will continue a tradition initiated by the Massey Medals in 1950, providing an important source of understanding of the nature of Canadian architecture and the regional, cultural, and historic forces expressed in the built environment.

This year, following protocols by the Canada Council for the Arts who administers the awards program jointly with the RAIC, the jury was appointed following the close of the submissions, rather than before as in previous years.

The following are the jury members for 2024.

 

Wanda Dalla Costa, AIA, Hon. FRAIC, LEED A.P., Tawaw Architecture Collective

Wanda Dalla Costa is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. Her firm, Tawaw Architecture Collective (www.TawArc.com) has offices in both Phoenix and Calgary. At Arizona State University, she is the director and founder of the Indigenous Design Collaborative, a community-driven design and construction program, which brings together tribal community members, industry and a multidisciplinary team of ASU students and faculty to co-design and co-develop solutions for tribal communities.

 

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The Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) has announced the 2023 scholarship recipients.

LACF believes that these students are future leaders. This year, the scholarships were awarded to several recipients.

They include Margot Kopache, the recipient of the 2023 Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship and Jordan Cantafio, the recipient of the Peter Jacobs Indigenous Scholarship and the BC2 Indigenous Scholarship for 2023.

Margot Kopache, Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship

Jury members felt that her approach was “hands on” and “down to earth” while simultaneously communicating a clear and ambitious vision.

Jordan Cantafio, Peter Jacobs Indigenous Scholarship and the BC2 Indigenous Scholarship 

Jordan Cantafio is a Red River Métis student at the University of Manitoba, and is currently completing an internship towards his Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture.

The recipients of the 2023 Regional Scholarships include the following.

Traci Berg: Canadian Landscape Charter | University of Calgary Scholarship

Traci Berg is a Master of Landscape Architecture (’24) candidate at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape.

Erin Schwab: University of Calgary MLA Scholarship

Erin Schwab was nominated on account of the scholarship criterion of design creativity and academic excellence.

McKenna Schentag: SALA Academic Award

McKenna Schentag is a master’s candidate in her second year of studies at the University of Calgary, with an undergraduate degree in Regional and Urban Planning from the University of Saskatchewan.

Lucas Schramiak: Bourse d’étude du 50e anniversaire de l’AAPQ

Lucas Schramiak is a future landscape architect who likes to be pushed beyond his limits by his teachers and colleagues.

Megan Haralovich: Alain Lamontagne (Guelph BLA)  Scholarship and Maglin-LACF Scholarship

Megan Haralovich worked on the 2022 Winter Stations project, centered on Indigenous community-inspired social spaces.

Dallas Canavan: University of Guelph BLA Scholarship

Dallas Canavan is a top 5 per cent ranking due to her 90 per cent GPA.

Craig Klomp: University of Guelph MLA Scholarship and Maglin-LACF Scholarship

Craig Klomp has upheld a high GPA, and showcases excellence in all design studios.

Izzy Mink: University of Toronto MLA  Scholarship, Lemay-LACF Scholarship  and Maglin-LACF Scholarship

Izzy Mink’s process proposals aim to find new ways for landscape architecture that promote social inclusion.

Kailee Meakin: Andre Schwabenbauer / University of Manitoba MLA Scholarship 

Kailee Meakin served as vice president and is now president of the Landscape Architecture Student Association at the University of Manitoba.

Jenna Frizzell: Peter Klynstra Memorial Scholarship

Jenna Frizzell is a second year BLA student at the University of Guelph, from Prince Edward Island.

Hannah Bennett: Atlantic Landscape | Dalhousie Scholarship

Hannah Bennett is a fourth-year student in Dalhousie University’s Bachelor of Technology Landscape Architecture program.

Elliot Bellis: University of British Columbia Scholarship

Elliot has shown a commitment to the overlaps of ecological design, community building, and social justice while at UBC.

Kylie Ip: BCSLA Robillard Scholarship in Landscape Architecture

The Robillard prize is given to her for both her academic rigour and design ideas for small to medium site design.

Julie Lorrain: Bourse d’études de voyage Danièle Routaboule 

Lorrain began a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the Université de Montréal to pursue her passions for ecology and planning.

Adrianna Anastacio: Maglin-LACF Scholarship, University of Manitoba MLA

Adrianna Anastacio has passion and enthusiasm for the discipline of landscape architecture.

Chelsea Dawn Robins: Maglin-LACF Scholarship, Dalhousie Bachelor of Technology – Landscape Architecture

Chelsea Dawn Robins is a high performing fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Technology – Landscape Architecture program at Dalhousie University.

Claire Heidenreich: Maglin-LACF Scholarship, University of Calgary MLA

Heidenreich has spearheaded a student-lead project called the “Avant-garden,” charged with naturalizing the university campus with native plants.

Kevin Wong: Maglin-LACF Scholarship, UBC

Kevin Wong has consistently demonstrated excellence in the Landscape Architecture program at UBC.

Josiane Roy: Maglin-LACF Scholarship, l’Université de Montréal

Josiane Roy is the winner of the 2023 edition of the Rinox prize for emerging landscape architects, and places  importance on integrating her projects into the existing environment.

For more information on the recipients, click here.

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The winners of the Canadian Centre for Architecture’s (CCA) Interuniversity Charette 2024 were recently announced during an awards ceremony, held at the CCA in February.

This year’s edition of the CCA Charrette, called Beyond the Roof, invited participants to choose the roof of an existing building and propose an intervention that “challenges the roof as a fifth facade and calls into question the notions of property, habitat, use and legislation.”

The jury evaluated a total of 48 proposals submitted by teams composed of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates from the Université de Montréal, McGill University, Concordia University, UQAM, Carleton University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, Université Laval, University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, and Ontario Collage of Art and Design University.

The jury members included Nicolay Boyadjiev, an architect, Practice Lab Director at re:arc institute and Studio Director of Antikythera’s philosophy of technology think tank hosted at Berggruen Institute; Daniel Zamarbide, an architect, co-director of the ALICE laboratory and Superstudio at EPFL, and founder of BUREAU; and Alena Prochazka, who holds a Ph.D. in Urban Studies, teaches architectural studio at the schools of architecture in Quebec, and has led an international research team involving scientific and architectural scholars form Montreal, Chicago and Paris on the subject of Urban Roofscape through the prism of Energy and Ecosystems. This year’s edition of the Interuniversity Charrette was organized by the CCA in partnership with the Université du Québec à Montréal, the Université de Montréal, and McGill University.

The first place winner was Elevating Montreal’s horizons: A Watertower Renaissance by McGill University graduates Julien Rozon and Mathias Madelein.

“Bern and Hilla Becher’s well-known series reenacted, re-tuned up to chant our relation to natural resources. A well-presented collection of possibilities opening up the roofs to a new landscape of efficiency and aesthetics,” said the jury.

The second place winner was Guide populaire de premiers soins pour des bâtiments souffrants by Lucas Ouellet, Charles Cauchon and Christian Molina from the Université de Montréal.

“Protocols instead of elaborated solutions to a given problem. A way to operate architecture as one of the actors of the city network (or mesh, in the words of Timothy Morton). A manual that involves the care of the urban fabric and its transformational tools. As opposed to the gravitational principles of the construction of new buildings, the proposal starts at the top of the existing ones, to suggest further transformations moving downwards,” said the jury.

The third place winner was Le théâtre de la nuit by Tatiana Lassu, Antonia Wutte, Sean Field and Sumya Gogte from McGill University.

“One of the territories that most architecture has not dealt with is the realm of the night. The Théâtre de la Nuit proposes to work within this gap and with the help of the culture of temporary structures, occupy the roofs for a poetic nightlife,” said the jury.

Special mentions were given out to Pantheon by Conor Nicell by Max Godfrey from Carleton University and La grande Brassée by Eva Mcsweeney and Jérome Belanger from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

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The Pritzker Architecture Prize has announced Riken Yamamoto, from Yokohama, Japan, as the 2024 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. This award is regarded internationally as architecture’s highest honour.

Yamamoto, architect, and social advocate, is the 53^rd Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the ninth from Japan. He was born in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, and lives in Yokohama, Japan.

Yamamoto defines community as a “sense of sharing one space,” and is known for “deconstructing traditional notions of freedom and privacy.” He also brings together cultures, histories and multi-generational citizens, with sensitivity, by adapting international influence as well as modernist architecture to the needs of the future.

“For me, to recognize space, is to recognize an entire community,” said Yamamoto. “The current architectural approach emphasizes privacy, negating the necessity of societal relationships. However, we can still honor the freedom of each individual while living together in architectural space as a republic, fostering harmony across cultures and phases of life.”

The 2024 Jury Citation said that  Yamamoto was selected “for creating awareness in the community in what is the responsibility of the social demand, for questioning the discipline of architecture to calibrate each individual architectural response, and above all for reminding us that in architecture, as in democracy, spaces must be created by the resolve of the people…”

Yamamoto  is known for having evolved influences from traditional Japanese machiya and Greek oikos housing. He designed his own home, GAZEBO (Yokohama, Japan 1986) as well as Ishii House (Kawasaki, Japan 1978), which was built for two artists. It features a pavilion-like room, that extends outdoors and serves as a stage.

He offers a consistent continuity of landscape, designing in discourse to both the preexisting natural and built environments in order to contextualize the unique experience of each individual building.

“Yamamoto develops a new architectural language that doesn’t merely create spaces for families to live, but creates communities for families to live together,” said Tom Pritzker, chair of the Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the award. “His works are always connected to society, cultivating a generosity in spirit and honoring the human moment.”

“One of the things we need most in the future of cities is to create conditions through architecture that multiply the opportunities for people to come together and interact. By carefully blurring the boundary between public and private, Yamamoto contributes positively beyond the brief to enable community,” said Alejandro Aravena, jury chair and 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate. “He is a reassuring architect who brings dignity to everyday life. Normality becomes extraordinary. Calmness leads to splendor.”

His career has spanned a total of five decades and his projects, range from private residences to public housing, elementary schools to university buildings, institutions to civic spaces, and city planning, which are located throughout Japan, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea and Switzerland.

Significant built works also include Nagoya Zokei University (Nagoya, Japan, 2022), THE CIRCLE at Zürich Airport (Zürich, Switzerland, 2020), Tianjin Library (Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, 2012), Jian Wai SOHO (Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 2004), Ecoms House (Tosu, Japan, 2004), Shinonome Canal Court CODAN (Tokyo, Japan, 2003), Future University Hakodate (Hakodate, Japan, 2000), Iwadeyama Junior High School (Ōsaki, Japan, 1996) and Hotakubo Housing (Kumamoto, Japan, 1991).

Yamamoto will be honored in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America in the spring. The 2024 Laureate Lecture will be held at S. R. Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center, on May 16, 2024.

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