March 12, 2010

FOCUS | Concrete & Masonry

Ontario Masonry Contractors’ Association launches design awards

PETER KENTER

correspondent

If the 2010 Ontario Masonry Design Awards aren’t the first of their kind offered by the Ontario Masonry Contractors’ Association (OMCA), at least they’re the first in recent memory.

“It’s been so long since we’ve offered a provincial award, that there’s no record left in our offices of when it was,” says Sandra Skivsky, business communications director of the Canada Masonry Centre. “Ontario is such a mecca of masonry that 50 to 60 per cent of all masonry product sold in the country are purchased and used in Ontario. It would be a shame not to celebrate and make an occasion of that.”

The competition will recognize architects, engineers, owners, masonry contractors and environmental design consultants for imaginative and/or creative use of masonry in building design and construction. Awards will be offered at both regional and provincial levels, with 11 categories at the regional level, and 14 at the provincial level. Provincial award winners will be chosen from regional award winners.

Projects considered for awards in the following categories — Architectural Design, Structural Design, Restoration Design, Environmental Design, Industrial Design, Residential High Rise, Residential Low Rise — must have been completed between Jan. 1, 2000 and June 30, 2009 according to the substantial completion date as published in Daily Commercial News. Future awards will be limited to more recent completion dates.

A separate category honouring Modernist Design will be limited to buildings substantially completed between 1979 and 1989.

“This is a provincial award which isn’t designed to honour historical buildings, but to add an extra element to the competition,” says Skivsky.

Having no history of member participation to fall back on, the OMCA initially asked for an expression of interest from members who provided project abstracts for consideration. Skivsky says that the number of submissions was encouraging. Members will be notified by Mar. 15 to provide full submissions, which will be due on June 15.

The awards will be presented at the Ontario Masonry Design Awards Gala in Toronto, on Nov. 20.

The actual award to be presented at the gala is currently in the conceptual phase.

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