Sudbury's Vale Living with Lakes Centre wins architecture awards

The Vale Living With Lakes Centre on Laurentian University is receiving two awards from the Ontario Association of Architects.

The Centre is the winner of the OAA Design Excellence Award for 2015, as well as the OAA's Sustainable Design Excellence Award for 2015.

The centre opened in 2011 and is located on the southern shore of Ramsey Lake in Sudbury. According to Laurentian University, it was built to meet energy and environmental design platinum standards and was designed by architects J. L. Richards and Associates Ltd in association with Perkins + Will Architects.

Director of the centre, John Gunn, said some people who now work in the building also helped design it.

"Eventually [we] started to talk the language of architects," he said.

The building has many sustainable features, including geo-thermal energy and reduced potable water usage.

Gunn said grey water is used for the building's toilets and car wash.

"We have a car wash at the lakes centre because of invasive species work where we have to wash our boats and vehicles," he said.

Another sustainable feature is a green roof, Gunn said and "it's a blueberry roof to represent Sudbury a little better."

Gunn said he was delighted to hear about the awards.

"I think one thing it has done … is set a higher standard for buildings in Sudbury," he said.

"We're not terribly famous for our architecture."

The building could go on to win another award, as winners of the design category are then put forward for the People's Choice Award. The category is being talked about on social media, including Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who suggested the public vote for the centre in Sudbury.

The public can vote on the Ontario Association's Architects website until April 15.