TORONTO — The adaptive reuse of a former Kitchener church into affordable housing was celebrated at the recent Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (OCA) Heritage Awards.
The former St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on King Street West in Kitchener was renovated, adapted and expanded to create 43 supportive affordable homes for people struggling with precarious housing. Invizij Architects served as the designer for the Indwell project, which was awarded the Paul Oberman Award in the Adaptive Reuse Large-Scale/Team/Corporate category.
The team adapted the existing church structure and built an additional floor onto the church hall. The sanctuary was preserved as a multi-use community space. The job was completed in 2024.
The project was one of 16 recognized at the recent gala held in Toronto.
Other winners were:
• Eric Arthur Lifetime Achievement Award — Mary-Jean Page
• Mary Millard Award for Special Contributions to ACO — Marilyn Davidson
• ACO Public Education and Engagement Award — Sarah Morris, Windsor
• A.K. Sculthorpe Award for Advocacy — Brian Skerrett, Guelph
• ACO NextGen Award — Eli Aaron, Toronto
• Margaret and Nicholas Hill Cultural Heritage Landscape Award — Friends of Allan Gardens, Toronto
• James D. Strachan Award for Craft — Patrick Moore, Ottawa
• Stephen A. Otto Award for Research and Documentation — Adam Bunch, Toronto; Marie Voisin, Ernie Ritz, Kristen Hahn – The Historic Buildings of New Hamburg and the People Who Lived There
• Carlos Ventin Award for Municipal Heritage Leadership — Tamara Anson-Cartwright, Toronto
• Paul Oberman Award for Adaptive Reuse: Small-Scale/Individual/Small Business — John Muir Branch, Windsor Public Library
• Peter Stokes Restoration Award: Large-Scale/Team/Corporate — Wychwood Neighbourhood Branch Library Restoration and Addition, Toronto
• Peter Stokes Restoration Award: Small-Scale/Individual/Small Business — Marine Heritage Society, Southampton
• ACO Special Jury Awards — Linda and Jack Hutton, Bala’s Museum, With Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery
• ACO Special Jury Awards — K-W Urban Native Wigwam Project and Warrior Home 2023 Student Design Team, Kitchener.
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