The Quebec Order of Architects (OAQ) has revealed the 30 finalists in the 24th edition of the Architecture Awards of Excellence. This year’s program once again includes the People’s Choice Award – an invitation to the public to vote on the Internet for their coup de cœur project (www.oaq.com) from among those nominated. Activities also include an educational segment for Cycle 3 elementary school children and the public presentation of finalist projects during the Architectural Marathon to be held in Montreal on March 1, 2007 and in Quebec City on April 5, 2007.

From the 94 projects entered, 30 have been chosen as finalists in 12 categories. On June 7, 2007, the OAQ will announce the winning projects, the architects and their clients who will be proclaimed winners by the jury in each category and the People’s Choice and Children’s Choice Award.

Between February 1 and April 30, 2007, the public is invited to vote for their favourite project on the Order of architects (OAQ) Web site (www.oaq.com) in the Prix d’excellence en architecture section. This electronic ballot box will allow surfers from around the world to decide on the People’s Choice Award from among the 30 finalists. For those who want to find out more, the OAQ has planned presentations of the nominated projects, hosted by the architects themselves. These presentation meetings, entitled Architectural Marathons, will take place on March 1, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, and on April 5, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. in Quebec City (location to be determined). There is no entry fee, but you must reserve a place by registering on the OAQ’s Web site.

The jury for the Architecture Awards of Excellence 2006-2007, chaired by Mexican architect Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta, founder of the BGP Arquitectura firm, is made up of Dinu Bumbaru, policy director at Héritage Montréal and Secretary General of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS); Suzanne Bergeron, Quebec architect; François Séguin, stage designer (representing the public); Isabelle La Fontaine, architect and head of the buildings department of the University of Sherbrooke.

Jury members were unanimous in their opinions about the choice of finalists. Gómez-Pimienta was emphatic that, "I very much enjoyed the honour of participating as chair of the jury for the Architecture Awards of Excellence of the Quebec Order of Architects. The selection process was sometimes difficult given the high quality of the entrants. In all cases, we were unanimous in our choice of finalists and winners." The jury chair also stated that the jury valued the overall quality of the projects submitted, which was expressed through the diversity of architectural models and imagination and the care taken in completing all the projects. "It should not be forgotten that, behind all good projects, there is a good architect and a good client! The projects we have just seen attest to the fact that Quebec architecture is in the best of health. It also means that we must always be more critical and rigorous when looking at Quebec architecture," Gómez-Pimienta concluded.

Finalists in the various categories are as follows:

Institutional

• CCIT_Communication, Culture and Information Technology Building (Mississauga, Ontario)
  Saucier + Perrotte Architectes
  
• Centre des Femmes de Montréal
  Nomade – Lauzon Pelland, Architectes
  
• New building of the Faculty of Music at McGill University (Montreal)
  Saucier + Perrotte Architectes | Menkès Shooner Dagenais, Architectes
  
• Poste Frontalier d'Armstrong (Chaudière-Appalaches)
  St-Gelais Montminy + Associés, Architectes | Les Architectes Bernard et Cloutier

Cultural

• Bibliothèque Jean-Gosselin et locaux culturels du quartier Charny (Chaudière-Appalaches)
  Anne Carrier Architectes
  
• Centre communautaire Intergénérationnel d'Outremont (Montreal)
  Cardin, Ramirez et Associés, Architectes
  
• Théâtre du Vieux-Terrebonne (Lanaudière)
  Atelier TAG - Manon Asselin, Architecte | Jodoin Lamarre Pratte et Associés, Architectes

Industrial

• Pavillon Gene H. Kruger de l'Université Laval (Quebec City)
  Gauthier, Galienne, Moisan, Architectes

Commercial

• Adonis (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Montreal)
  Boutros et Pratte, Architectes
  
• Le Casse-tête (Montreal)
  Rayside Architecte
  
• Siège Social Hagen (Montreal)
  Rubin, Rotman, Architectes

Interior Design

• McCarthy, Tétreault (Montreal)
  Lemay Associés
  
• Nolin / BBDO Montréal
  Daoust Lestage Inc. Architecture, Design Urbain
  
• Résidence Lalancette-Ruel (Quebec City)
  Annie Lalancette, Architecte, and Nelson Ruel, Architecte

Single-Family Residential

• Chalet du Chemin Brochu (Estrie)
  Pierre Morency, Architecte
  
• Le château de cartes (Estrie)
  YH2 – Yiacouvakis Hamelin, Architectes
  
• Maison à St-Henri (Montreal)
  Nadejda Topouzanov Architecte and Vladimir Topouzanov Architecte
  
• Résidence Les Abouts (Centre du Québec)
  Pierre Thibault, Architecte

Multi-Unit Residential

• Coopérative d'habitation Au-Pied-du-Courant (Montreal)
  Brière, Gilbert + Associés, Architectes
  
• Les Jardins du Y des Femmes (Montreal)
  Atelier Big City – Randy Cohen, Anne Cormier and Howard Davies, Architectes
  
• Loft Redpath – Phases II et III (Montreal)
  Cardinal Hardy et Associés, Architectes

Urban Design

• Aménagements bordant le chemin de la Côte-Des-Neiges (Montreal)
  Schème – Peter Soland, Architecte
  
• Passerelle de la Rivière St-Charles (Quebec City)
  Croft, Pelletier, Architectes

Architectural Recycling/Conversion

• Bureau de Québec de ABCP – Architecture et Urbanisme (Montreal)
  ABCP Architecture et Urbanisme
  
• Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve (Montreal)
  FABG – Les Architectes Faucher Aubertin Brodeur Gauthier

Heritage Conservation/Restoration

• Cour d'appel du Québec (Montreal)
  Lemay Associés
  
• Pavillon du Lac-aux-Castors restauration (Montreal)
  Réal Paul, Architecte | Pierina Saia, Architecte

Prix Marcel-Parizeau: Projects with a total cost of less than $150,000

• Chalet du chemin Brochu (Estrie)
  Pierre Morency, Architecte
  
• Résidence de l'avenue Laval (Montreal)
  Blouin, Tardif, Architectes
  
• Résidence Lalancette-Ruel (Quebec City)
  Annie Lalancette, Architecte, and Nelson Ruel, Architecte

Honourable Mention in Sustainable Development

• Camp Musical CAMMAC reconstruction (Laurentides)
  Box architectures – Patricia Sarrazin-Sullivan, Architecte | Bosses Design – Donald Potvin, Architecte
  
• Pavillons Lassonde de l'École polytechnique de Montréal (Montreal)
  Saia Barbarese Topouzanov | Desnoyers Mercure et Associés, Architectes | Menkès Shooner Dagenais Letourneux, Architectes
  
• Poste frontalier d'Armstrong (Chaudière-Appalaches)
  St-Gelais, Montminy + Associés, Architectes | Les Architectes Bernard et Cloutier
  
• Siège social Hagen (Montreal)
  Rubin, Rotman, Architectes