Recognition, promotion and understanding of Architectural Excellence is the objective of the 2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence in Architecture.

Feeling, function and form are parts of architecture. Good architecture creates a built-environment that is engaging, efficient and exciting. Rather than strive for mediocrity, good architecture harnesses creativity in a new way.

These winning projects are excellent because they reflect the value of architects in creating places of education, business and life in New Brunswick’s built-environment. They are about real-world challenges and solutions and we hope you enjoy them.

This tri-annual competition recognizes projects completed between May 1, 2003 and April 30, 2008.

2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Award of
Excellence in Architecture
Winner

2008 Winners, 

Murdock & Boyd Architects

Hampton Elementary School
 

A potentially conventional re-siding & window replacement project for was transformed into an exciting and animated place of learning for the 21st Century.

The desire to make the building interactive was achieved between the physical relief and depth between the boards and battens.

Hampton Elementary School design
earns the 2008 Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in Architecture.

The perception is that the school changes colour depending on the viewing angle. When seen straight on the building appears mainly green, but when viewed at a sharp angle it appears almost solid blue, with a number of green/blue combinations in between. Along with new siding and new fascia, the windows have been reframed in white Azek panels that provide rhythmic breaks to the long coloured elevations.

A vertical array of wide green wood boards with a procession of evenly spaced thin blue battens was selected. The proposed scheme was inspired by the surrounding natural shades of green and blue  the host of trees and adjacent rivers which envelop the school and enliven the region.

In an educational world full of countless challenges and pressures, at the very least we can make our children’s schools bright and welcoming refuges that reflect the colours of the world around them.

2008 Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Merit
for
Excellence in Architecture Winners

Metepenagiag Heritage Park & Interpretation Centre

Prodel Design Inc

Through oral tradition, the Metepenagiag Mi’kmag Nation has been passing on the significance of the Oxbow Site and the Augustine Mound for generations. The Centre is a powerful tool to tell the story to everyone.

Metepenagiag Heritage Park is a modern facility that acknowledges the ancient past. Its missing is to protect, preserve, present and promote two of the most outstanding aboriginal archaeological sites in Eastern North America. ► read more
 

Margaret Norrie McCain Hall

Fellows & Company Limited

St Thomas University’s new building includes a study hall, new classrooms and offices. It establishes an upper courtyard mirroring the picturesque landscaped central courtyard that has become the university’ s trademark.

While the new structure did not require as much floor space as Mulroney Hall (its facing neighbour) it was critical to establish a similar height and volume so that the new courtyard would be balanced. This pushed the design solution whereby the proposed façade was equally as large as Mulroney Hall’s but was hollowed out; creating an internal entry courtyard that is open to the sky.

The four-storey, 4400 square metre building boasts a two-story study hall for 125 students complete with an upper mezzanine, a 400-seat lecture theatre, an acoustically designed 80-seat piano recital hall, two 60-seat classrooms, three 35-seat classrooms, five seminar rooms, twenty staff offices, a boardroom and the President’s suite offering a spectacular view of both campuses and the St. John River Valley. ► read more

The Spanier / O’Neil Residence

Raven Spanier

The Spanier / O’Neil residence pushes the boundaries of residential design, demonstrating sound environmental practices and design innovation by using conventional urban dwelling forms in new and meaningful ways.

Creating a variety of individual spatial experiences within a cohesive whole, the residence celebrates local and regional NB trades, crafts persons and artisans, incorporating design elements inspired by the works of F L Wright, Richard Neutra and art nouveau style of Victor Horta, demonstrating unique and innovative use of materials, alone and in combination.

► read more

2005 Inaugural Winners,

Architects Four Ltd.

Pierre Gallant, Dianne VanDommelen, and Jeff VanDommelen, of Architects Four Ltd. of Moncton, N.B., were honoured by Lt.-Gov. Herménégilde Chiasson, as the first recipients of the Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in Architecture. The architects won the award for their design of the Greater Moncton Airport Terminal.

Two awards of merit were also presented.

The first to DFS Inc. of Saint John for the Cox Electronics and Communications Retail Store, Saint John.

The second Award of Merit was presented to Gradon + Kapkin Architects Limited for the Grand Manan Community School project, Grand Manan.

Airport terminal design
earns architecture award!

The Architects’ Association of New Brunswick Recognizes Excellence

New Brunswick’s architects have dramatically increased their profile as a result of some very highly placed praise for the work and role of architects in our community. The Architects Association of New Brunswick calls the inaugural Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in Architecture a milestone for the importance of architects and architecture in the province.
Lieutenant Governor Herménégilde Chiasson has presented the award to the architects of the Greater Moncton Airport Terminal. Architects Four Limited of Moncton, in association with Architectura (currently Stantec Architecture Ltd.), won the award. It was accepted at ceremonies in March by Dianne VanDommelen, Jeff VanDommelen and Pierre Gallant of Architects Four Limited.
“Although architecture can say a lot about society and trends, buildings like the Moncton airport, also have to serve their intended purposes”, said Dianne VanDommelen.

"It was our goal to develop a building that would be user-friendly, create an environment of calmness, clarity and transparency of the building. And for these we have received positive feedback from users."
Stanis Smith, Vice-President, Architecture and Interior Design, Stantec Architecture Ltd. said, “Airport terminals are the front door to their region, and have the opportunity to create a memorable first and last impression for visitors and residents alike. Stantec Architecture is delighted that the Airport Terminal has been recognized with this design award, and in so doing has become an ambassador for the city and community.”

Lt.-Gov. Herménégilde Chiasson’s remarks suggest that the architects hit the mark, "The new terminal building is a symbol of progress, without forgetting the past. It stands for strength, success, and new frontiers, just as it is welcoming, comforting and comfortable."
Independent jurists found the airport terminal to be “esthetically pleasing, challenging and yet in keeping with the philosophies of good architecture.”

Renowned for his work in glass, wood, metal, and clay, internationally acclaimed New Brunswick artisan Peter Powning was commissioned to create the award which will be on permanent display at Old Government House in Fredericton.

"The Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in Architecture will be presented regularly - perhaps every two or three years, when the number of significant projects merits it," said Ed Goguen, outgoing President of the Architects’ Association of New Brunswick. The new Association President, Gaye Kapkin says, "the award is a way to recognize good work and will be a useful tool to raise public interest in the role architects play in their lives.”

As part of the ceremony, the Association also presented Lt.-Gov. Chiasson with an Honorary Lifetime Membership designation - a first for the Association since its' establishment in 1933. In addition, the Association created the Herménégilde Chiasson Award, which was presented to Barbara Nicholson, Director of Design and Construction Services with the Department of Supply and Services, for her work in developing the new Award, exemplary service to the Association and advocacy of the profession.

2005 Gala Reception Slideshow