Niagara Biennial Design Awards

Award Categories and Winners

For more information and pictures of the award winning projects, see the Jury Report.

• Visionary Design
  • Grand Prize: Fort Erie Waterfront Strategy, Fort Erie
  • Award of Excellence: Brock District Plan, St. Catharines and Thorold
  • Award of Excellence: Glendale District Plan - Visioning and Development Concept Plan, Niagara-on-the Lake and St. Catharines

  Unbuilt projects, such as a plan, study or vision of an area that proposes a development or redevelopment strategy for an inspired urban environment.

  Submission types: urban design studies, master plans, secondary plans, district plans and community plans

  Project must be completed and endorsed by the local municipality in which the project is located.

  Judging criteria

  • Comprehensiveness - Demonstrates a multi-layered approach to the evolution of the design and its integration into the given context or site
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas, approaches and technologies towards the conceptualization of design of the built environment
  • Stakeholder engagement - Degree to which stakeholders were involved in the shaping of the project
• Urban Design
  • Outstanding Achievement: St Paul Street Transformation, St. Catharines
  • Award of Excellence: Luminaires Celebration, Niagara-on-the Lake

  Complete Communities

  Large-scale built projects providing places for people to live, work, play and learn. Includes multi-modal options and a diversity of land use and built form.

  Submission types: communities such as mixed-use developments, subdivisions, large infill projects, greenfield and brownfield redevelopments

  Judging criteria

  • Comprehensiveness - Project is informed by Niagara Region’s Model Urban Design Guidelines, Complete Street Guidelines, other relevant guidelines and demonstrates best practices in urban design
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas and approaches to the design of the built environment
  • Vibrancy - Project evokes a sense of place and successfully invites people to enter and experience the community

  Urban Interventions

  Small-scale, outdoor projects that are temporary in nature. Located on public or private land, they are designed to improve an urban space or condition.

  Submission types: streetscape elements, pop-up spaces, urban amenities and seasonal installations

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits design excellence through use of materials, composition and installation to enhance the surrounding built environment
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas and approaches to the design of the built environment
  • Vibrancy - Project successfully invites people to enter and experience the space
• Architecture
  • Outstanding Achievement: 13th Street Winery, St. Catharines
  • Award of Excellence: Redstone Winery, Lincoln (Beamsville)
  • Award of Excellence: 106 Queen St. - Heritage Reconstruction, Niagara-on-the Lake

  New Buildings

  New building (or group of buildings) of high architectural standards which achieves design excellence through its relationship with its immediate surroundings and the urban fabric.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as civic, institutional; office, commercial, industrial; mixed-use; residential (single unit, multi unit); Niagara's tourism and hospitality (restaurants, hotels, wineries, cideries, distilleries, attractions)

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits architectural excellence through massing, orientation, scale, materiality and composition
  • Contextual response - Project is well-integrated into the surrounding context and contributes to the urban fabric
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as sustainable design elements, practices and green infrastructure

  Building Alterations

  Additions or renovations to existing buildings. Similar to new buildings, the projects will achieve design excellence through its relationship with the existing built form and its immediate surroundings.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as facade improvements, adaptive re-use, building restoration (historical elements) and building additions

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits architectural excellence through massing, orientation, scale, materiality, composition and contextual response
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as sustainable design elements, practices and green infrastructure
• Interior Design
  • Outstanding Achievement: Williams Hall Restoration - Ridley College, St. Catharines
  • Award of Excellence: Student Commons - Niagara College, Niagara-on-the Lake

  New Interiors

  Installation of an interior design project within a newly constructed building.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as civic, institutional; office, commercial, industrial; mixed-use; residential (single unit, multi unit); Niagara's tourism and hospitality (restaurants, hotels, wineries, cideries, distilleries, attractions)

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits interior design excellence through functionality, materiality and creativity
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas and approaches to the design of building interiors
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as sustainable design elements, practices and green infrastructure

  Interior Renovations

  Installation of an interior design project within an existing building.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as adaptive re-use and building restoration

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits interior design excellence through functionality, materiality and creativity
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas and approaches to the design of building interiors
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as sustainable design elements, practices and green infrastructure
• Landscape Architecture
  • Outstanding Achievement: Bay Beach Waterfront Park, Fort Erie
  • Award of Excellence: International Plaza - Niagara Region Headquarters, Thorold

  Public Realm

  Outdoor landscape spaces ranging in character, such as urban, suburban and rural. Spaces are located on municipal lands, such as streets, parks, trails and community facilities.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as streetscapes, gateways, civic markers; urban plazas, civic squares, commemorative spaces; parks, parkettes, trails, linear open spaces; landscape structures and elements; landscape restoration; green infrastructure, green roofs, green walls; and stormwater management features

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits landscape architectural excellence through materiality, functionality, integration with the immediate surroundings and positive contributions to civic life
  • Vibrancy - Project successfully invites people to explore and experience the space in a variety of ways
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as bio-diversity, low-impact development and other sustainable design elements and practices

  Private Realm

  Outdoor landscape spaces associated with a specific built form, including landscape areas both at grade and on structures.

  Submission types: projects will be grouped together by type and evaluated within their respective group, such as civic, institutional; office, commercial, industrial; mixed-use; residential (single unit, multi unit); Niagara's tourism and hospitality (restaurants, hotels, wineries, cideries, distilleries, attractions)

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits landscape architectural excellence through functionality, materiality and positive relationship with the public realm
  • Vibrancy - Project contributes to positive experiences of an outdoor space
  • Sustainability - Includes features such as bio-diversity, low-impact development and other sustainable design elements and practices
• Commemorative Landscapes
  • Outstanding Achievement: Landscape of Nations, Niagara-on-the Lake
  • Outstanding Achievement: Voices of Freedom Park, Niagara-on-the Lake
  • Outstanding Achievement: Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial, St. Catharines

  The new category "Commemorative Landscapes" was introduced by the jury to recognize the unique design role of outdoor spaces which successfully combine commemorative installations, outdoor art and landscape architecture.

  These projects use art and landscape to call attention to the powerful things that are going on, but are insufficiently acknowledged by society. These projects are not only monuments; they tell important stories and shape powerful experiences.

  Judging criteria

  • Stakeholder engagement - Degree to which stakeholders were involved in the shaping of the project
  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits design excellence through creativity, execution and positive contributions to the public realm
  • Vibrancy - Project successfully invites people to experience the space
• Outdoor Art
  • Award of Excellence: Ascendente, St. Catharines
  • Award of Excellence: Is this modern society?, St. Catharines

  Permanent outdoor art installations located on either private or public land.

  Submission types: murals, sculptures, permanent art, light or digital installations, custom street furniture and utility wraps

  Judging criteria

  • Quality of execution - Project exhibits design excellence through creativity, execution and positive contributions to the public realm
  • Vibrancy - Project successfully invites people to experience the art piece
• Student Designs
  • Award of Excellence: Re-Engaging the Defunct and Historic Welland Canals, St. Catharines and Thorold

  Student design projects that seek to provide a design solution specific to the Niagara context.

  Submission types: visionary design, urban design, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, outdoor art

  Project must be prepared by a student attending a Canadian post-secondary institution and be part of a course curriculum. Projects must be completed and evaluated by the respective post-secondary institution.

  Judging criteria

  • Comprehensiveness - Addresses factors including contextual integration, and contributions to public realm and sustainability
  • Innovation - Highlights new ideas and approaches to the design of the built environment

Culture and Environment

• Biennial Design Awards
• Complete Streets
• Culture Committee
• Culture Plan
• Investment in Culture
• Local Food Action Plan
• Urban Design