Q. What are the Eligibility requirements for Design Excellence Projects?
A. All projects created by members of the OAA, located anywhere in the world, completed within the last six years (since January 2018) and currently in use are eligible. Projects may represent any form of built architecture including: single buildings, groups of buildings, additions, interiors, conversions, restorations, and renovations.
Architects, intern architects, owners, users, builders, and members of the public are welcome to submit, provided the work was undertaken by a member of the OAA.
Eligibility Breakdown:
If the submitted project’s correct credit of authorship is:
An architectural practice – The architectural practice must have an OAA Certificate of Practice and one of the following must be met:
a) the work must be done by the holder of a Certificate of Practice located in Ontario or
b) the submitted project is located in Ontario.
An individual – The Individual must be affiliated with the Association and one of the following must be met:
a) The individual resides in Ontario or
b) the submitted project is located in Ontario
Note: Previous Design Excellence Award Finalists are not eligible.
Q. Is Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) reporting required for Design Excellence submissions?
A. Yes, since 2020 EUI reporting is a mandatory requirement. A number must be provided for EUI, with calculations and reports outlining energy usage also required. Exceptions apply for interior fit-outs and buildings that do not require thermal conditioning.
The Association offers two free online tools that enable you to measure the Total Energy Use Intensity (TEUI) of a building. The TEUI Calculator allows you to determine an existing building’s energy performance, while the, new TEUI 2.0 calculates both the TEUI and Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI) of a project. Check out the TEUI page for more information.
Q. What Sustainable Information is required for Interior fit outs and adaptive reuse projects?
A. In the case of a fit-out, the exterior walls and systems providing heat/cooling/ventilation do not change, which means the only EUI aspect over which the architect has control is the lighting. Therefore, for these types of fit-outs, only Lighting Power Density (LPD) information must be provided.
Retrofit/historic projects could be fit-outs or they could be deep retrofits that include exterior walls—in these cases, there is the opportunity to add insulation and a new mechanical system. Therefore, for deep retrofit projects, EUI reporting is still required.
Q. Are previous Design Excellence Finalists eligible to re-submit to the Design Excellence category a second time?
A. No, the project has been previously honoured and recognized as a finalist and are therefore ineligible.
Q. Are Interior Design projects eligible for a Design Excellence Award?
A. Yes, projects may represent any form of built architecture including: single buildings, groups of buildings, additions, interiors, conversions, restorations, and renovations.
Q. Within the Design Excellence Awards, are projects awarded by category ? Are a certain amount of awards awarded in each category? (i.e. Small buildings, Large Building, Houses, Complex etc.)
A. No, Projects are grouped by category for organizational purposes only. There is no requirement to award in each category type.