Surrey Civic Centre architects honoured with OAA design award

TORONTO —The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is presenting Kasian and Moriyama & Teshima Architects with the 2015 Award for Design Excellence for the Surrey Civic Centre in Surrey, B.C.

"Already we are seeing how powerful the new city hall has become as a catalyst for the creation of a new ‘downtown Surrey’ – new development is underway and a dynamic urban center is emerging," said Michael McDonald, Kasian project design principal.

"We are especially pleased by comments from city staff and people using the new civic center who remark on the quality of daylighting and openness that brings energy and inspiration to their daily activities."

The $100 million Surrey Civic Centre was conceived through collaborative discussions with municipal government, local business owners and the community. The 207,000- square-foot building is located in Surrey, which is one of the fastest-growing and most culturally diverse regions in Canada.

The building was designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification, while the master plan and subsequent design incorporated a new city hall, additional space for Simon Fraser University and a major civic plaza and pedestrian green area.

The council chamber transforms into an intimate performance venue with the ability to open up to the city room for larger events.

The civic centre and plaza organizes three separate and distinct spaces to facilitate public business, community events and legislative matters.

A childcare centre is integrated into the building, which is connected to the plaza and enhances the sense of community in the overall design. Civic engagement and social interaction are the primary goals of the project as the facility houses Surrey’s municipal government and is the symbolic heart of the community.

The OAA awards offer the Ontario architectural profession an annual opportunity to present their work to the public and a professional audience; demonstrating the excellence of both individual award winners and the profession as a whole; fostering a greater appreciation of architecture and architects in the public realm.

The awards, judged by a jury of peers from the design industry, celebrate projects that excel in forward-thinking design excellence.

A ceremony will be held on Friday, May 8 in Hamilton, Ont.

Kasian is an architecture, interior design and planning firm, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Doha.

Toronto-based Moriyama & Teshima has built its reputation on distinctive landmark projects such as the New Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the Bata Shoe Museum.