On a Friday in June, managing editor Erin Donnelly and I hosted the judging of Canadian Interiors’ 12th annual Best of Canada Design Awards. Our five judges, invited for their experience and expertise, came together to examine 146 entries from across the country. After careful consideration, they narrowed the field to 35 nominees — listed below, under their categories, in alphabetical order.
A lively debate and discussion followed. At the end of the process, the judges chose 20 winners, which will be revealed at a special Best of Canada Design Awards Celebration on Sept. 25. For the first time this year, the celebration is part of the IIDEX/NeoCon Canada show at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre.
Congratulations to all the nominees.
• Fuel: office for an advertising agency (Toronto) — Bartlett & Associates
• The Juggernaut Offices: space for a post-production, design and animation studio (Toronto) — Giannone Petricone Associates Architects
• MMM Group: office for an industry leader in engineering consulting services (Toronto) — Modo
• Red Bull Lounge: space to serve as lounge, kitchen, meeting room, entertainment venue, gallery and presentation centre (Vancouver) — SSDG
• Stantec Guelph Office: space for a team of environmental scientists and landscape architects — Stantec Architecture
• Clinique OVO: fertility clinic (Montreal) — NFOE et associs architectes
• George Brown College Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts: Culinary School and Chefs’ House Restaurant (Toronto) — Kearns Mancini Architects with Gow Hastings Architects
• The Jackman Humanities Institute: University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Sciences — Kohn Schnier Architects
• Jean-Lesage International Airport (Quebec City) — Consortium d’architectes GPC (Gagnon, Letellier, Cyr / Provencher Roy + associs / Cardinal Hardy & associs)
• Richmond Speed Skating Oval (Richmond, B.C.) — Cannon Design
• Ryerson Student Information and Advising Centre: Ryerson University (Toronto) — Gow Hastings Architects
• School of Interior Design: Ryerson University (Toronto) — Gow Hastings Architects
• Green Thai: restaurant (Thornhill, Ont.) — J. Cho Design
• Jean-Lesage International Airport: VIP and Protocol Lounges (Quebec City) — Consortium d’architectes GPC (Gagnon, Letellier, Cyr / Provencher Roy + associs / Cardinal Hardy & associs)
• Mildred’s Temple Kitchen: restaurant (Toronto) — du Toit Architects Limited
• Spring Rolls: restaurant (Toronto) — Dialogue 38
• W-Hotel Downtown Atlanta: hotel and condominium — Burdifilek
• Armstrong Avenue Residence: renovation of a house originally constructed as a dairy (Toronto) — Taylor Smyth Architects
• Cascade House: new, sustainable residence (Toronto) — Paul Raff Studio
• Fourth Street House: renovation of a 1920s residence (Toronto) — Michael Moxam
• Modern Metamorphosis: renovation of a postwar bungalow (Vancouver) — Cline Interiors
• Private Residence: new waterfront vacation home (Okanagan, B.C.) — Mitchell Freedland Design
• Imperial, Carrefour Laval: fashion label for men and women (Laval, Que.) — Ruscio Studio
• Obakki: showcasing clothes, jewelry and accessories (Vancouver) — mcfarlane | green | biggar
• Charlie Sales Centre (Toronto) — Cecconi Simone
• Distillery District Clear Spirit Condominiums Marketing Centre Lobby Design (Toronto) — Chase International
• Liberty Market Lofts: model suite (Toronto) — Chapman Design Group
• Queen and Portland Model Suite (Toronto) — Kantelberg Design
• W-Hotel Downtown Atlanta Condominium Sales Center — Budifilek
• Boustrophedon Garden: ephemeral garden (Quebec City) — Plant Architect
• Green Roof + Carport (Toronto) — Cecconi Simone
• Lookout Pavilion (Toronto) — Drew Mandel Design
• Isola 8: lounge seating “oasis,” designed by Karim Rashid — Nienkmper
• Planna: storage-based casegoods system — Inscape
• Visualizm: AV unit, designed and produced by Jerad Mack and Shane Pawluk — IZM
