OAA Announces 2026 Service and Design Excellence Winners

NEWS ARCHITECTURE
April 8, 2026 by Anthony Teles 766

OAA announces the 2026 Service and Design Excellence winners

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) has announced the winners of its 2026 Design Excellence Awards and the recipients of its Service Awards, recognizing a broad range of work from Ontario-based practices across a variety of building types and regions. The 10 winning projects were selected from 96 submissions and refined through a shortlist of 20 finalists. They highlight approaches to sustainability, adaptive reuse, housing innovation and the design of public spaces. The winners will be celebrated on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at the OAA Conference in Waterloo Region, where other awards will also be presented, including the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Design Excellence and the People’s Choice Award.

The winning projects, followed by service awards:

angle of rest
Located in the Algonquin Highlands, Angle of Repose was designed by Reasonable Projects Inc. It represents a sophisticated synthesis of architectural form and environmental performance. Conceived as a sculptural lake house for a client seeking both aesthetic clarity and rigorous sustainability, the project utilizes digitally fabricated solid wood construction paired with airtight, three-foot-thick wall construction and ultra-high-performance glazing. Fully electrified systems contribute to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the building receives passive house certification.

Angle of Tranquility, image by Jeremie Warshafsky

Beaverton Heights Modular Transitional Housing
Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. for the Durham Region, Beaverton Heights Modular Transitional Housing provides supportive housing through a modular approach that prioritizes speed, efficiency and dignity for residents. Adapted to the rural setting, the low-rise development incorporates pitched roof forms and a warm material palette, whilst a central community hub provides access to social support for both residents and the surrounding area. A high-performance building envelope, fully electrified systems and rooftop solar panels work together to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Beaverton Heights Modular Transitional Housing, image by Doublespace Photography

Carmen Corbasson Community Center
The Carmen Corbasson Community Center in Mississauga, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, expands an existing leisure complex with a solid wood addition designed as a “pavilion in the forest.” The 45,000 sq ft expansion introduces a swimming pool, fitness center and aerobics studio, while aiming to strengthen the connection to the surrounding woodland through extensive glazing and a simple, rectilinear form. The project combines multiple building eras, improving circulation and accessibility while allowing natural light into the interior.

Carmen Corbasson Community Centre, image by Scott Norsworthy

Kìwekì point
Kìwekì Point in Ottawa, led by Janet Rosenberg & Studio Inc. with Patkau Architects Inc., reimagines a striking limestone cliff as a layered public landscape that reconnects the site to the city and the Ottawa River. The intervention includes a continuous walkway, species-rich planting and connections to surrounding infrastructure such as the Pìdàban footbridge, culminating in Whispering Point, a cantilevered viewpoint. The project combines landscape and architectural elements, incorporates Algonquin storytelling and recontextualizes historical monuments.

Kìwekì Point, image by Doublespace Photography

Koffler Scientific Reserve Dining and Operations Center
Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc., the Koffler Scientific Reserve Dining and Operations Center in King City supports a leading ecology and biodiversity research facility through a mass timber building that combines residential, teaching and dining functions. Located in the Oak Ridges Moraine, the project utilizes passive design strategies to achieve net-zero energy and carbon performance, while its barn-inspired form is expressed through steeply pitched roofs and blackened wood siding.

Koffler Scientific Reserve, image by Doublespace Photography

Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus
At the University of Toronto, the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, designed by Weiss/Manfredi with Teeple Architects as Architect of Record, forms a prominent academic center at the intersection of the campus, Queen’s Park and the Discovery District. The 13-story building is organized around a series of multi-story winter gardens that connect research clusters while introducing publicly accessible terraces with views over the city. The project aims to create a collaborative environment that supports interdisciplinary work.

Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, University of Toronto, image by Albert Vecerka

Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum
The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum in Burnaby, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects with Iredale Architecture as Architect of Record, creates a new cultural gateway for Simon Fraser University amid its forested mountaintop surroundings. The building is designed as a single-story structure, organized as a linear passageway and intended to encourage movement through a sequence of flexible gallery and lounge areas. The design positions the surrounding landscape as an active part of the visitor experience.

The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum, image by Tom Arban

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Headquarters
The one by Bucholz McEvoy Architects Ltd. Designed in collaboration with ZAS Architects Inc., the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) headquarters sits on the edge of Black Creek Ravine and is a workplace that reflects the organization’s environmental mission. The solid wood construction includes daylighting, natural ventilation and renewable energy systems. The facility is intended to promote public engagement and align with TRCA’s role in conserving and managing the region’s natural systems.

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority headquarters, image by Michael Moran

Toronto Public Library – Bridlewood Branch
The Bridlewood Branch of the Toronto Public Library, designed by Ken Fukushima Architecture in collaboration with David Fujiwara Architect, transforms an underused commercial unit into a community-focused library space. The project’s exterior is defined by vertical solar panels with programmable LEDs, creating a visual display that references rows of books and activates the streetscape after dark. Inside, the design draws on both historic library typologies and local community narratives, resulting in an adaptable interior space that supports a wide range of programs.

Toronto Public Library – Bridlewood Branch, image by Doublespace Photography

Ulster House
The LGA Architectural Partners Ltd. Designed Ulster House in Toronto transformed a single-family property into a five-unit multiplex complex. The project developed by the company’s founders introduces compact homes with individual entrances that aim to strike a balance between quality of life, affordability and environmental performance while maintaining compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. The development, which functions as both a five-plex and a small condominium, has been closely followed by planners and has helped advance Toronto’s multiplex zoning reform in 2023.

Ulster House, image by Doublespace Photography

To vote for one of these projects for the People’s Choice Award, please visit this link by April 22, 2026.

Service Awards

Brigitte Shim and A. Howard Sutcliffe, founding partners of Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, are jointly recognized for their lifetime of design work. The internationally recognized company’s timeless designs integrate architecture and interiors into the landscape.

Juxta Architects Inc. of Ottawa-Gatineau won the biennial Best Emerging Practice Award for the young company’s “clear vision, well-articulated goals and proven strategies.”

The 2026 Medal of Service will be awarded to Michael McClelland of ERA Architects for his years of dedication and leadership as an OAA member, while posthumous additions to the OAA Honor Roll will be awarded to William Lobban, William N. Greer and Jacqueline Toi Mei Chen.

Further information on all Service Award winners can be found in the OAA’s blOAAg.

UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of these developments, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database files linked below. If you’d like, you can join the discussions in the associated Project Forum threads or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.

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