Institutional (Small) Award
Jury Comment
A beautifully detailed example of a sustainable building that is treating its site carefully and lightly, providing an opportunity for future generations to learn through direct experience of nature. The milling of wood harvested from the site to create exterior siding offers children a visual and tactile message about sustainability.
This project redefines early childhood education by immersing 73 children, from infants to preschoolers, in a nature-filled environment. Located within Ottawa’s Greenbelt, this full-time daycare centre offers a year-round outdoor learning experience where children spend at least half their time exploring nature, rain or shine. The design embraces the principle of “learning through play,” fostering sensory awareness, resilience, and life skills through hands-on activities in a forested setting.
The Centre doubles as a research hub for Outdoor Play Canada, advocating for equitable access to unstructured outdoor learning. The facility, inspired by a “cabin in the wood”, integrates seamlessly with its environment.
Sustainability was a key consideration in the design, with a super-insulated, airtight envelope, high-performance triple-glazed windows, and bird-friendly glass. Regionally sourced, non-toxic materials were also used throughout.
This environmentally conscious approach makes the Centre a model of low-impact design while creating a lasting educational facility that instills a lifelong love for nature in young learners.
Careful site planning maintains the existing topography and vegetation. The existing trees that were cleared for construction were locally kiln-dried and milled for use as building siding and custom furniture, while some logs were retained on-site to serve as seating and wildlife habitat.
Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada supplied the AC units.
PROJECT CREDITS
- Architect CSV Architects
- Owner/Developer Andrew Fleck Children's Services
- General Contractor Thomas Fuller Construction Co. Limited
- Landscape Architect Lashley + Associates Corporation
- Civil Engineering Novatech
- Electrical/mechanical Engineer Goodkey Weedmark + Associates
- Structural engineer WSP Canada
- Photos Kevin Belanger
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