Last week the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) announced the winners of the 2015 OAA Awards, which recognize projects built both locally and abroad by Ontario architects.

Bruce Kuwabara (BArch 1972) was honoured with a Lifetime Design Achievement Award, which honours OAA members for a “career-long contribution to Architectural Design Excellence.” Kuwabara is a founding partner at KPMB and the Chair of the Bard of Trustees for the Canadian Centre for Architecture. He received an Order of Canada appointment in 2012 for his contributions to the architectural profession, to our built landscape, and for his commitment to professional excellence. Here at the University of Toronto, his firm designed the Rotman School of Management’s expansion as well as the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Faculty of Management. Notable projects in Toronto include the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Canada’s National Ballet School, and the Gardiner Museum.

The OAA also recognized a number of Daniels Faculty professors and instructors with 2015 awards.

PARTISANS Architects, the firm of lecturer Alex Josephson, received the award for Best Emerging Practice. Its Grotto Sauna perched on the shore of Lake Huron (pictured above and below) was also recognized with an OAA Design Excellence Award. (PARTISANS is up for an Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award as well; you can vote for them here.)

Kohn Shnier Architects, the firm of Associate Professor John Shnier, also received Design Excellence Award for Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy (pictured below), an elementary school for kindergarten students in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park — North America’s largest free standing Kindergarten-only school. The project includes a collaboration with the artist Micah Lexier on a masonry wall that integrates text.

Assistant Professor Tom Bessai and Instructor Maria Denegri received recognition in the “Concepts” category for its “Dancing Cubbies” designed for Huron Public School in Toronto, while Baird Sampson Neuert Architects was awarded an Honourable Mention in Design Excellence for the Gold Corp Innovation Suite — Lasonde Mining Building in Toronto.

See the complete list of award winners below. The 31 winners in ten categories will be recognized at a formal awards ceremony in Hamilton, May 8, as part of the OAA’s annual conference

2015 OAA Awards - List of Winners

Design Excellence - Awards

Echo House
Toronto, ON
Paul Raff Studio Incorporated Architect

Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy
Toronto, ON
Kohn Shnier Architects

Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport
Toronto, ON
Patkau Architects Inc. MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd.

Grotto Sauna
Georgian Bay, ON
PARTISANS Architects

Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts
Kingston, ON
N45 Architecture Inc. in association with Snøhetta Architecture Design Planning P.C.

Ismaili Centre
Toronto, ON
Moriyama & Teshima Architects In association with Charles Correa Associates

Lake Cottage
Bolsover, ON
UUFIE INC.

Mariinsky II
St.Petersberg, Russia
Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated

Surrey Civic Centre
Surrey, BC
Moriyama & Teshima Architects in joint venture with Kasian Architecture Ontario Incorporated

Vale Living with Lakes Centre
Sudbury, ON
J.L. Richards & Associates Limited, Consulting Engineers & Architects in association with Perkins + Will Canada Inc.

Design Excellence – Honourable Mentions

14 Division
Toronto, ON
Stantec Architecture Ltd.

Annex Residence
Toronto, ON
Audax Architecture Inc.

Deer Clan Longhouse
Crawford Lake, ON
Brook McIlroy Inc.

Fort York Branch Library
Toronto, ON
KPMB Architects

Fort York National Historic Site Visitors Centre
Toronto, ON
Patkau Architects Inc.
Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.

Gold Corp Innovation Suite, Lassonde Mining Building
Toronto, ON
Baird Sampson Neuert Architects Inc.

Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery
Sarnia, ON
Kongats Architects

Maison Glissade
Town of the Blue Mountains, ON
Atelier Kastelic Buffey Inc.

‘Pit Stop’ Transit Facility
Oakville, ON
Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.

Port Hope House
Port Hope, ON
Teeple Architects Inc.

Concepts

PRISMATICA
RAW design inc.

The Hole Idea - Now in Technicolour
Weiss Architecture & Urbanism Limited

Dancing Cubbies
Honourable Mention
Denegri Bessai Studio

Sustainable Design Excellence Award

Vale Living with Lakes Centre
Sudbury, ON
J.L. Richards & Associates Limited, Consulting Engineers & Architects in association with Perkins + Will Canada Inc.

Landmark Designation

Belleville City Hall
Belleville, ON
William R. White Architect Limited

Best Emerging Practice

PARTISANS Architects

G. Randy Roberts Service Award

Recognizing members of the OAA for extraordinary service to the members
Istvan Lendvay

Lifetime Design Achievement Award

Honouring members for career-long contribution to Architectural Design Excellence
Bruce Kuwabara

Order of da Vinci

Presented to persons who have made a significant and meaningful contribution to the profession of architecture
Leslie M. Klein