Vancouver-based studio omb has won the BC Wood WORKS! Jury’s Choice Award as well as the prestigious International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Interior Design Competition for their design of the Fort McMurray International Airport.
The BC Wood Design Awards, presented by Wood WORKS!, the national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, honours excellence in wood-based projects by BC-based people and organizations. The Jury’s Choice Award was presented at an awards ceremony on Mar. 2, 2015.
The annual Interior Design Competition (IDC) is presented by IIDA, a professional networking and educational Association with 33 chapters globally. Now in its 42nd year, the IDC honours inspirational innovation in Interior Design/Interior Architecture from around the world. The award will be presented at an awards gala in Chicago on June 14, 2015, as part of the IIDA celebration at NeoCon. The 2015 Best of Competition Winner will be announced at that time.
The Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) was designed and constructed as the gateway to northern Alberta, a region that occupies a unique place in the Canadian landscape. By using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) technology at YMM, presently the largest application of CLT in North America, omb shortened construction time, and reduced the carbon footprint and cost of construction.
Arriving passengers are greeted with generous day-lit spaces with direct physical and visual access to a landscaped courtyard. Among the many interior highlights is a feature screen wall with faceted steel fins and programable LED lights that abstractly evoke the character of the Northern Lights and the regional Boreal Forest. Several exterior materials are carried through to the interior and complemented by sophisticated yet durable materials to further refine the interior spaces.
In response to the wins, omb principal Steve McFarlane says, “We are delighted to receive recognition for the project for both its technological and aesthetic qualities. Many people were committed to realizing this innovative structural solution and bold contemporary design and we are proud to be a part of the team that diligently worked to ensure the building was flawlessly executed as a complete vision.”
This recognition follows previous accolades for the Fort McMurray International Airport. In 2014, the project was honoured by Interior Design magazine with a Best of Year Award and an Alberta Construction Magazine Award. In 2013, YMM received a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
For more information about omb, visit http://www.officemb.ca/