Over 200 submissions from some of Ontario's brightest young minds and established architectural firms alike have been narrowed down to just 20 finalists for the 2016 Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Awards' Design Excellence category. As part of the countdown until the April 1st aannouncement of the winners, each of the 20 finalists in the Design Excellence category will be featured on the OAA blOAAg over the course of the month of March.

The awards also honour other categories, including Concepts, Landmark Designation, Best Emerging Practice, G. Randy Roberts Service Award, Honour Roll, Lifetime Design Achievement Award and Order of da Vinci. These awards are judged by a jury of peers from the design and architecture communities, using the following criteria; Creativity, Context, Sustainability, Good Design/Good Business, and Legacy. 

Aga Khan Museum, image by David Timchuck via Flickr

The 2016 OAA Design Excellence award winners will be honoured at the OAA Celebration of Excellence Awards and Dinner, on May 13th in the Allstream Centre, as part of the 2016 OAA Conference. Additional winners in the Lieutenant Governor’s Award, Michael V & Wanda Plachta Award and the People’s Choice Award categories will be announced.

A list of the 2016 OAA Awards Design Excellence Finalists follows below.

Aga Khan Museum - Moriyama & Teshima in association with Maki and Associates - Toronto, ON

Borden Park Pavilion -  gh3 architecture - Edmonton, AB

Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre - MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. and HIP Architects in joint venture - Edmonton, AB

Curtiss Kitchen and Dining Facility - ZAS Architects and Jean-Christian Koch Architecte in joint venture - Borden, ON

Daniels Spectrum - Diamond Schmitt Architects -Toronto, ON

Detail shot of the Daniels Spectrum, image by Lori Whelan via Flickr

George Brown College, Waterfront Campus - Stantec and KPMB Architects in joint venture -Toronto, ON

Go Home Bay Cabin - Ian McDonald Architect Inc. - Georgian Bay Township, ON

Grange Triple Double - Williamson Chong Architects - Toronto, ON

Harbord Towns - superkül - Toronto, ON

Harbord Towns, image by UT Forum contributor salsa

Old Main Academic Building Addition, Thompson River University - Diamond Schmitt Architects and Stantec (Associate Architect) - Kamloops, BC

Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay Waterfront - Brook McIlroy Inc. - Thunder Bay, ON

Redstone Winery - Sweeny &Co. Architects Inc. - Beamsville, ON

Richard Ivey Building, Ivey Business School, Western University - Hariri Pontarini Architects - London, ON

Richard Ivey Building at Western University, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, University of British Columbia - KPMB Architects & HCMA Architecture + Design in joint venture - Vancouver, BC

Skygarden House - Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - Toronto, ON

Stade de soccer Montréal - Saucier + Perrotte Architectes/Hughes Condon Marler Architects (now HCMA Architecture + Design) - Montréal, QC

Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch - LGA Architectural Partners Inc. and Phillip H. Carter, Architect in joint venture - Toronto, ON

Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch, image courtesy of LGA Architectural Partners

Surrey Operations Centre and Works Yard Redevelopment - Taylor Kurtz Architecture + Design Inc. & Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. (Design Architect) - Surrey, BC

The Mississauga Public Library Project - Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. - Mississauga, ON

The Waterdown Library and Civic Centre - Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. - Waterdown, ON

What's your take on 2016's nominees? Let us know in the comments section below!