The Ontario Association of Architects is an important architectural body within the province, guiding architectural standards and promoting excellence. It's also the regulatory body for the profession, much in the same way lawyers or doctors are regulated. Each year the OAA holds two awards: the Design Awards and the People's Choice Awards, to celebrate excellence in design, innovation and concept.

The list of winners for the Design Awards has already been announced, with the presentation ceremony being held in Ottawa in early May. Fifteen new built projects — spanning from Montreal to Phuket, Thailand — made the list out of 160 submitted. In the Design Excellence category, WZMH's Bay Adelaide Centre West received an award, as did KPMB's TIFF Bell Lightbox project.

TIFF Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower, image courtesy of Daniels.

The Landmark Award recognized Lett/Smith Architects for their work on the Ryerson Recreation and Athletics Centre, a project we've featured on UrbanToronto quite frequently and one that will definitely deserve landmark status upon completion.

Ryerson's Peter Gilgan Athletics Centre at the Gardens + Loblaws, view from the southeast

Toronto's TACT Architecture Inc. was named the Best Emerging Practice, and Toronto-based architect Raymond Moriyama of Moriyama Teshima received the Lifetime Design Achievement Award.

The People's Choice Awards are now asking for your input as to what your favorite new building is from the list of 15 in the Design Excellence category below. To vote, visit the link here — polls close on Tuesday, April 17. For more information on the OAA's Awards or to purchase tickets, visit the link here. Be sure to let us know who you voted for below after casting your vote, or speak up if you think a notable project has been overlooked!

Design Excellence Category

• Bay Adelaide Centre – West Tower (Toronto, ON)

      WZMH Architects

• Bluepoint Pavillion (Phuket, Thailand)

      Paul Raff Studio Inc.

• Carling Residence (Noble, ON)

      TACT Architecture Inc.

• Espace culturel Georges-Émile Lapalme (Montréal, QC)

      Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Provenchor Roy + Associés Architectes

• +HOUSE (Mulmer, ON)

      Superkül Inc.

• James Bartleman Archives and Library Materials Centre (Ottawa, ON)

     Shoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd. + Barry J. Hobin and Associates Architects

• Lawren Harris House (Toronto, ON)

     Drew Mandel Architects

• Ottawa Convention Centre (Ottawa, ON)

      bbb Architects Ottawa Inc.

• Rideau Canal Skateway Chalets (Ottawa, ON)

     CSV Consultants Inc.

• Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse (Peterborough, ON)

     Teeple Architects

• SPLIT House (Toronto, ON)

      Superkül Inc.

• Stephen Hawking Centre at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (Waterloo, ON)

      Teeple Architects

• TIFF Bell Lightbox (Toronto, ON)

     KPMB Architects

• Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex (Mississauga, ON)

     Kongats Architects

• Vaughn City Hall (Vaughan, ON)

     KPMB Architects