Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) has announced the national and regional winners of its annual Awards of Excellence. This year, 15 projects received a national award – pre-eminent examples in Canadian landscape architecture, honouring distinctive design, groundbreaking research, and sustainable landscape management. These award-winning projects illustrate the range of what landscape architects do. They are helping to reshape our communities – defining the places we want to live, work and play.
According to Brian Parker, Chair of the Awards of Excellence jury: “More and more frequently landscape architects appear to be leading projects that are increasingly multi-disciplinary. Collaborative work with engineers, architects and planners bodes well for the profession.”
Winners were selected by a national jury of landscape architects. National and regional awards are presented in three categories: Honour, Merit, and Citations. Honour Awards recipients demonstrate excellence in all judging criteria, Merit Awards in some criteria, and Citations in particular categories. The principal criteria applied by the jurors were: demonstration of a deep understanding of the craft of landscape architecture including attention to composition and detail; demonstration of excellence in leadership, project management, breadth of work, new directions or new technology; innovation in concept, process or implementation; promotion of the discipline amongst related professions, clients and the general public; and demonstration of exemplary environmental and/or social awareness.
The 2014 recipients are as follows.
National Honour Awards were given to Dundas Street West Parkettes in Toronto by PMA Landscape Architects Ltd. (Design category); The Landscape of Memory – Poppy Plaza in Calgary by Stantec Consulting Ltd. with the Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative Inc. (Design category); and Les Promenades Urbaines in Montreal by Ville de Montréal, Direction des grands parcs et du verdissement (Communications/Planning/Analysis category).
National Merit Awards were given to the Toronto Natural Environment Trail Strategy by LEES+Associates Landscape Architects (Landscape Management category); Pottery Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing in Toronto by PLANT Architect Inc. (Design category); East Bayfront Water’s Edge Promenade in Toronto by West 8 + DTAH (Design category); Tree-Planting Solutions in Hard Boulevard Surfaces: Best Practices Manual by DTAH (Research category); An Adventure in Firsts: The Variety Heritage Adventure Park at the Forks National Historic Site in Winnipeg by HTFC Planning & Design (Design category); Zaubergarten in an Urban Clearing, Childcare Centre Munich by Straub Thurmayr CSLA Landschaftsarchitekten (Design category); Chemin-Qui-Marche Lookout in Montreal by Groupe IBI-CHBA (Design category); and Imperial Lofts – A Breath of Fresh Air in Montreal by Groupe IBI-CHBA (Residential Design category).
National Citations were given to Downtown Moves – Transforming Ottawa’s Streets by Delcan and The Planning Partnership (Planning & Analysis category); John Street Roundhouse Park in Toronto by IBI Group (Design category); TOM Field of Daisies/Field of Poppies (2012 & 2013 editions) by Claude Cormier et Associés (New Directions category); and Parc Hydro-Québec in Montreal by Claude Cormier et Associés (Design category).
Regional Honour Awards were given to Mid Main Park in Vancouver by Hapa Collaborative (Design category); Credit Rivers Parks Strategy in Mississauga by Schollen & Company Inc. (Planning & Analysis category); Lower Don Trail Access, Environment and Art Master Plan in Toronto by DTAH (Planning & Analysis category); and Victoria Park Subway Station – Green Roof and Landscape in Toronto by Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. (Design category).
Regional Merit Awards were given to John Lawson Park Playground and Splash Pad in West Vancouver by Richard Findlay Landscape Architect Inc. (Design category); MacEwan Terrace Garden at Riverwood in Mississauga by The Landplan Collaborative Ltd. (Design category); Designing Thunder Bay’s Image Routes – An Innovative Approach to Large-Scale Streetscape Redevelopment in Thunder Bay by Brook McIlroy (Communications category); Downtown Tomorrow – Linking Orillia’s Core to the Water by Urban Strategies Inc. (Planning & Analysis category); and Ruelle verte Cartierville in Montreal by Groupe Rousseau Lefebvre (Design category).
Regional Citations were given to Courthouse Square in Goderich by The Planning Partnership Ltd. (Landscape Management category); Wellington Place in Toronto by The Planning Partnership Ltd. (Design category); Open Hearth Park in Sydney by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Design category); Plan directeur d’aménagement récréotouristique de Rivière-au-Renard in Ville de Gaspé by Groupe IBI-DAA (Planning & Analysis category); and Four Seasons Hotel & Residences in Toronto by Claude Cormier et Associés (Design category).
The awards will be presented at a gala during the CSLA Congress to be held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Saturday, May 31st, 2014. For more information, please vist www.csla-aapc.ca/awards/awards-of-excellence.