On November 29, the 50th annual Canadian Architect Awards were hosted alongside Canadian Interiors‘ 20th annual Best of Canada Awards. Recognizing the country’s top designers — both emerging and well-established — the Canadian Architect Awards recognized seven exemplary projects from across the country. While our December Edition will offer an in-depth look at each of the winning projects, a first glimpse of the winners is available here:
This year’s ‘Student Winner’ was Dalhousie University’s Alastair Bird, whose Electric Space conceptualizes a deft repurposing of a decommissioned hydro facility in British Columbia.
Closing out the 50th Canadian Architect Awards—Student Award goes to Alastair Bird of #Dalhousie's @DalArchPlan! Alastair’s thesis envisions the transformation and repurposing of a decommissioned hydro facility in #BC to a visitors’ centre, research facility + viewing platform. pic.twitter.com/gcIURSou50
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
The first Award of Merit was claimed by MJMA Architects for the Churchill Meadows Community Centre. Located in Mississauga, Ontario, the building will combine a public amenity with a civic destination.
Our first ‘Award of Merit’ winner is the Churchill Meadows Community Centre, by @MJMArchitects! Jury: The simple plan deploys the program quite succinctly, freeing up other resources to artfully modulate daylighting and views pic.twitter.com/TUXPyGFymu
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
Another Award of Merit was presented to the Calgary-based Modern Office of Design (MoDA), whose project GROW offers a creative and socially mindful approach to mid-rise density.
Award of Merit: @MoDA_Arch are lauded for #GROW, an innovative 20-unit housing building #design in #Calgary! Jury: A creative approach to medium density housing that will have a positive impact on the lives of people living in this community.” pic.twitter.com/9ZzQHe2ssX
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
Designed by Saucier + Perrotte and Zas Architects, Toronto’s River City 3 also received an Award of Merit. Now under construction, the eye-catching tower already injects a bold twist to the residential point tower typology that dominates so much of the city’s current development.
An ‘Award of Merit’ is presented to @SaucierPerrotte + @ZASArchitects for #Toronto’s #RiverCity! The 3rd phase now rises into the skyline responding to its context while exploring the tensions between the rush of the overpass, the flow of the Don River, and the glow of downtown pic.twitter.com/nK9WDxG2xG
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
The first Award of Excellence was presented to Vancouver’s Leckie Studio for Full House, described by the jury as playful project “riffing on the concept of Marcel Duchamp’s pivoting door to generate a flexible and elegant design that can be reconfigured instantly from one single-family home to two or more.”
Now for the ‘Awards of Excellence’! The first award goes to @leckie_studio for Full House, a playful project “riffing on the concept of Marcel Duchamp’s pivoting door to generate a flexible and elegant design that can be reconfigured instantly from one single-family home to two" pic.twitter.com/N5bZaO0lg8
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
ABOVE, by the marc boutin architectural collaborative (MBAC), was another Award of Excellence winner. Reinventing the Edmonton Valley Zoo, the project creates an immersive new environment at one of the city’s top destinations.
ABOVE, by #MBAC, wins an ‘Award of Excellence!’ Designed for the #Edmonton Valley Zoo, ABOVE will provide a new zone and pavilion with an elevated pathway to offer an immersive environment for visitors, giving them the sense of entering a true animal habitat" pic.twitter.com/BRCXjIVihK
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
Finally, the third Award of Excellence was presented to Lemay for the daring yet contextually sensitive 61 Bells. Reshaping the underutilized space that fronts Montreal’s iconic St. Joseph’s observatory, the project animates the landmark with a new reception pavilion.
The 50th Canadian Architect Awards conclude with an ‘Award of Excellence’ for Andrew King + Pierre Leclerc’s 61 Bells! 61 Bells envisions a new reception Pavilion — and a bold exterior reconfiguration—to generate a public square for #Montreal’s St. Joseph’s Oratory. @lemayonline pic.twitter.com/al9sgpNITa
— Canadian Architect (@CdnArch) November 29, 2017
Meanwhile, the 30 winning projects at Canadian Interiors’ Best of Canada Awards are now profiled in our sister magazine’s November / December edition:
Keep an eye out for the December Edition, which will feature a full, in-depth profile of each winning project.