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Atrium interior servicing high traffic public floors with yellow quartz clad elevator core and feature images

Image : Scott Norsworthy

Ontario Court of Justice Toronto

Location: Toronto, Ontario 
Architecture Practices: NORR Architects & Engineers Limited in association with Renzo Piano Building Workshop S.A.S.

Chosen by a jury of respected design experts, the 20 projects comprising the OAA’s 2024 Design Excellence Finalists represent a diverse range of building types, including sustainably designed community centres, schools and learning facilities, residences, and an indoor horticultural attraction, as well as performing arts venues in Sudbury and New York City. These Finalists serve as the shortlist for the OAA’s 10 Design Excellence Winners, which will be announced next month and honoured at the OAA Conference in Niagara Falls in May. The biennial OAA Design Excellence Awards program offers Ontario practices the opportunity to display the transformative influence of architecture, promoting broader public recognition and appreciation for the field. The following media statement has been supplied by the submitting project team:

The Ontario Court of Justice Toronto was developed by RPBW and NORR to carefully integrate into the larger urban context and internally organized to effectively support the delivery of justice.

Responding to historically significant landmarks, including the Toronto City Hall and Osgoode Hall, the courthouse seeks to complete and unify the surrounding civic and judicial precinct through its massing, alignments, materials, details, and public spaces. 

The design promotes a dignified, open, transparent, and welcoming visitor experience that is inclusive and meets the highest standards of accessibility while also achieving the complex and high security requirements of a modern courthouse. 

Collage of project, featuring images of building model, details, and exterior viewed from street

Photo credit: Images on top and bottom right - Scott Norsworthy; All other images - RPBW/NORR

Exterior view looking north from the Superior Court of Justice with the main entry to the left, atrium to                           the right, yellow elevator core visible on interior between entry and atrium.

Photo credit: Scott Norsworthy
 Ceremonial Courtroom with white solid surface custom public seating, beech paneling and millwork, luminous ceiling and translucent Dias wall allowing exterior daylight penetration

Photo credit: Scott Norsworthy

Climate Action
The architecture profession must play a role in stabilizing the climate change crisis, lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in favour of clean power. This is one of the reasons why the OAA has chosen “climate action” as a theme in its strategic plan.
As it did in 2020 and 2022, the OAA once again required Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) metrics to be included as part of the submissions process for the 2022 Design Excellence Awards program. EUI is the measurement of a building's annual energy consumption relative to its size. The lower the number, the less impact the building has on our climate. You can learn more about the OAA’s EUI Calculator online tools, free for both members and the public, by clicking here. Attached is the 2030 Ontario Target Data chart, which shows the EUI goals for the 2030 Challenge based on the building type.

TEUI of the project: 99.17 kWh/m2

This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 20 Design Excellence Finalists for 2024, as selected by our jury. Click here to see other projects from this current award cycle.
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