A select group of Ontario’s leading architects, engineers, and project teams received Wood Design Awards at the 15th annual WoodWORKS! celebration in Toronto last month. The awards program recognizes people and organizations that, through design excellence, advocacy and innovation, are advancing the use of wood in all types of construction.
“The winning projects of this year’s program showcase the many benefits of wood construction,” says Marianne Berube, executive director of the Ontario Wood-WORKS! program. “All of these buildings were thoughtfully created with people in mind. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a large commercial building or a small residential addition, a performance hall or a bar. Wood is a sustainable, innovative, post-effective building solution that can meet the needs of many projects.”
Ontario WoodWORKS! handed out 12 awards at the event; nine went to specific wood projects and three were given to professionals whose contributions to the design/build community made them stand out as wood design experts and advocates. Among the winning projects were the new St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, Pointe Cabin, the Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts, and the inimitable Bar Raval.
Wood use is definitely on the rise, and not just because new code changes adopted earlier this year permit its use in a wider range of buildings. “There are many reasons for the increased use of wood,” Berube said. “Wood has significant environmental advantages over competing materials and, in many applications, designers and developers are reporting significant time and cost savings. Prefabrication is also creating a lot of interesting new opportunities for wood construction, particularly in the mid-rise sector.”
WoodWORKS! is a national, industry led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council that promotes and supports the use of wood in all types of construction. Working with the design community, WoodWORKS! connects practitioners with resources related to the use of wood in commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-unit residential construction, assists in product sourcing, and delivers educational seminars and training opportunities to existing and future practitioners.
Ontario Wood Award
Project: St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market (St. Jacobs)
Architect: Architecture Incorporated
Engineer: Blackwell
Sponsored by Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Environmental Building Wood Design Award
Project: Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre (Stouffville)
Architect and engineer: Dialog
Sponsored by Ontario Lumber Manufacturers Agency
Interior Wood Design Award
Project: Bar Ravel (Toronto)
Architect: PARTISANS
Sponsored by Boise Cascade
Residential Wood Design Award
Project: Point Cabin (Georgian Bay)
Architect: superkül inc.
Sponsored by Ontario Wood Truss
Fabricators Association
Multi-Unit Wood Design Award
Project:Windows on the Green
Condominium (Mississauga)
Architect: SMV Architects, Romanov and Romanov
Engineer: RJC Engineering
Sponsored by Weyerhaeuser
Institutional/Commercial Wood Design Award (less than $10 million)
Project: Toronto Public Library, Scarborough Civic Centre Branch
(Scarborough)
Architect: LGA Architectural Partners with Philip H. Carter Architect + Urban Planning
Engineer: Blackwell
Sponsored by Resolute Forest Products
Institutional/Commercial Wood Design Award (greater than $10 million)
Project: Gore Meadows Community Centre and Library, Phase 1 (Brampton)
Architect: Nelson Architecture
Engineer: Lavergne Draward and Associates
Sponsored by Ontario Forest Industries Association
Northern Ontario Excellence Award
Project: École Ste. Marguerite Bourgeoys, kindergarten addition (Kenora)
Architect: Nelson Architecture
Engineer: Lavergne Draward and Associates
Sponsored by FedNor
Jury’s Choice Award
Project: Isabel Bader Centre for Performing Arts (Kingston)
Architect: N45 Architecture
Engineer: Halsall
Sponsored by LP Building Products
Engineer Wood Advocate Award
Moses Structural Engineers (Toronto)
Sponsored by FPInnovations
Architect Wood Advocate Award
Quadrangle Architects (Toronto)
Sponsored by Timber Systems Ltd.
Wood Champion Award
Mike Seiling, director of building, City of Kitchener; immediate past resident,
Ontario Building Officials Association
Sponsored by Natural Resources Canada