Winners of the 2024 Federation of Chinese CPEF Award in Architecture
June 3, 2024
Three teams of undergraduate students have won a 2024 Federation of Chinese CPEF Award in Architecture for housing project proposals in Vanier and Confederation Heights.
The winners are:
Aidan Sosa and Steven Sum for Vanier Vista
Emma Monfette and Danielle Pallo for The 1960 Continuation
Cam Gordon and Connor Jermyn for Keewatin
Each project will receive $500.
The Federation of Chinese CPEF Award in Architecture is an annual award that goes to one or more outstanding students in the fourth year of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree.
Eligible students have completed the fall semester housing studio and demonstrated design excellence in their project, with particular attention to the social and cultural aspects of building.
“We are extremely grateful to the Federation of Chinese Professionals for its ongoing support of the next generation of architects,” said studio coordinator Associate Professor Benjamin Gianni.
Vanier Vista
Aidan Sosa and Steven Sum
Vanier Vista is a holistic vision to revitalize Ottawa’s Vanier community, addressing affordable housing, not-for-profit housing, and public space. The project leverages existing buildings on both sides of Montreal Road and involves the Vanier Community Service Centre (VCSC) and Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada (CYPCC). The community centre aims to enhance connectivity through Place Dupuis, favouring it as an urban corridor and creating storefronts along Montreal Road. The development includes courtyards, green spaces, and large event spaces while creating connections to the renovated VCSC building. Not-for-profit housing for CYPCC repurposes an existing office building with an additional extension, targeting women transitioning from foster care and incorporating trauma-informed design and health and counselling services.
The 1960 Continuation
Emma Monfette and Danielle Pallo
The 1960 Continuation seeks to utilize the abandoned Sir Charles Tupper Building in Confederation Heights and the adjacent unused surface parking as an opportunity to provide necessary housing and communal spaces to serve the current and future needs of the community. The development of the project was guided by the existing grid of the Sir Charles Tupper Building and a focus on transforming the single-use, car-centric area into an urban community geared toward the pedestrian and connection to nature and the surrounding landscape. A diverse typology of housing allows residents to choose their preferred urban lifestyle. Outdoor gathering and community spaces, shaped by the edges of the surrounding buildings, offer a retreat into pockets of natural oases.
Keetwatin
Cam Gordon and Connor Jermyn
The project for senior and student housing is located at the former CBC Building at 1500 Bronson Ave. Recognizing the habitual similarities of both demographics, the project aims to strengthen relationships between diverse social groups. It also addresses the opportunities offered by proximity to a new LRT line and the Rideau River. The project combines re-wilding concepts and transit-oriented design to create a walkable community integrated into the natural landscape. The vision is of an urban context that is anchored within and adheres to the natural cycles of the land. The design maintains a low building height throughout the site, prioritizes pedestrian pathways, creates a wildlife crossing, and explores hydroponic and permaculture systems.
