Laurentian University’s Vale Living With Lakes Centre (VLWLC) has been honoured with two prestigious awards from the Ontario Association of Architects. The Centre is the winner of an OAA Design Excellence Award for 2015, as well as the OAA’s Sustainable Design Excellence Award for 2015.
The OAA’s Design Excellence Awards are based on considerations of creativity, context, sustainability and legacy, and were awarded this year to 10 buildings designed by Ontario architects. The Sustainable Design Excellence Award is based on considerations of reduced dependence on fossil fuels, reduced use of virgin materials, reduced potable water usage, and high-quality interior environment, and was awarded solely to VLWLC.
Ranked as one of Canada’s greenest buildings, the Vale Living With Lakes Centre was officially opened in 2011 on the southern shore of Ramsey Lake in Sudbury. It was built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum standards, and was designed by architects J.L. Richards and Associates Ltd, in association with Perkins + Will Architects. The building was conceived as a unique centre of excellence for the study of freshwater aquatic systems, their health and remediation. It was designed for the climate of 2050 and is estimated to be 70 per cent more energy-efficient than conventional buildings, using natural light and shade, geo-thermal heating and grey-water recycling systems to reduce its footprint.
“Dr. John Gunn and the Core Review Team challenged us to design a ‘Lakes Centre’ that was worthy of the Ramsey Lake watershed, and of the work performed within the building,” said architect Jeffrey Laberge of J.L. Richards and Associates. “We responded through form, materials, and systems that have no detrimental impact on the health and well-being of Ramsey Lake, yet have a positive cultural impact within the city. We are very happy to be recognized by the OAA for both Design Excellence and Sustainable Design Excellence,” he added.
The Vale Living With Lakes Centre houses faculty, researchers and students working in some of Laurentian University’s Biology and Environment programs, and is shared by research staff from Laurentian’s partners in the Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
"The building itself is an affirmation of the mandate of the Vale Living With Lakes Centre. The building lines, regionally sourced materials and the views over Lake Ramsey make this one of the most beautiful structures in the area,” said Brad Parkes, Director of Facility Services at Laurentian University. “The Centre is used for many public events and I think that both Laurentian and the Greater Sudbury community are very proud of this unique facility."