Conference

Conference 2025: Reshaping Communities

Next year’s OAA Conference, Reshaping Communities, will be held in the nation’s capital at the Hotel Westin Ottawa, from May 14 to 16, 2025. Building on previous Conference themes and sessions, the multi-day event will feature new conversations about how places shape people’s behavior, how an evolving built environment can effectively respond to and reflect societal changes, and how impacts at both local and global scales are converging.

Bringing together architects and other thought leaders from across the province and beyond, the 2025 Conference programming will include urban revitalization, adaptive reuse, inclusive design, Reconciliation, the intersection of the built and natural environments, and the architecture profession’s ability to respond to new challenges and opportunities. There will be a special celebration for the jury-selected projects of the SHIFT2025 Challenge (coming soon!), along with the usual networking and socializing opportunities, recreational tours, local flavour, and the Sponsors’ Lounge (featuring the latest in building products, design/construction services and resources, and trusted experts). Of course, there will also be a full slate of educational sessions, from experiential learning in the field to classroom lectures.

The OAA Conference is an annual event, traditionally held in May. It has previously been held in Toronto in "even" years (e.g. 2018, 2022) and in other cities on "odd" years (e.g. 2019, 2023). For 2021, it was held online, with a Virtual Conference Week in May and other events throughout the year. The Conference program includes a variety of Continuing Education courses, tours, and special events.

Members of Ontario's architecture profession attend the yearly Conference to help fulfil their Continuing Education requirements. It also serves as a networking opportunity to connect with colleagues and leaders in the design community. Conference events and seminars are also open to members of the public. If you are interested in learning more about the architectural profession and topics that affect the design community, be sure to attend.