Diamond and Schmitt--the architecture firm behind such diverse buildings as Toronto's
Four Seasons Centre, the
New Marinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Montreal’s
La Maison Symphonique and the
Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs--has won three awards from the Ontario Association of Architects.
"They just did a lot of great work this year," says
OAA president Bill Birdsell of the firm, which won more OAA Awards than any other this year.
They firm took home design awards for the
Centre for Green Cities at the Evergreen Brickworks and the
Ryerson Image Centre, and Jack Diamond was recognized for his lifetime's achievement.
"The Evergreen Brickworks is just an amazing re-use," Birdsell says. “It hits all the good things: good design, good business, it’s sustainable, it’s very clear. It’s a legacy building, it celebrates the past. It just hits the things the profession is trying to highlight."
Both Evergreen Brickworks and the Ryerson Image Centre, he says, also have "the ability to invite and engage the public."
The OAA awards are decided by juries made up mostly of community members, though they include architects.
Though there were awards given out to residential projects this year, it may be read as significant to some that, unlike past years, no condominium tower was recognized.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Bill Birdsell
Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to [email protected].