News Archive
July 15, 2011
We’re through to the finals!
Have a look at the Work section to see some of the projects that are up for awards -- Fraser Residence, House in the Forest, Manotick Country Estate Home and the Muskoka Lakes Boathouse.
Many of our projects have been award winners in the past – and we are delighted that six have made it through to the finals this year. Winners will be announced in October at a gala to be held at the new Ottawa Convention Centre. We’ll give you all the details in October!
"Fraser Residence - one of the finalists"
January 19, 2011
“We’re in the news ...”
A couple of articles about Chris and the firm have been published recently. Chris was interviewed by Patrick Langston for an article (“Man of Intuition”) that appeared in the Homes section of the Ottawa Citizen on January 15th. Take a look at this link and read about some of the firm’s projects, our commitment to environmental sustainability, and Chris’ personal philosophy and design approach
An article by Mary Taggart in the latest “Ottawa at Home” magazine featured Chris among “four of Ottawa’s most prestigious architects”. Each architect was asked the same five questions – check out Chris’s answers below:
When did you decide that you would become an architect? At the age of seven, my grandmother suggested that I become an architect because I was good at math and interested in art! I decided to go into architecture school because I would be able to study a range of subjects including art history, philosophy, psychology, engineering and design. I have often wondered whether I should have studied art or philosophy instead, but my continuing investigation into Eastern spiritual philosophy and aesthetics have satisfied these urges.
What facet of architecture intrigues you the most? Getting inside the client’s head to understand the often divergent and contradictory wishes they put forward, and then creating a vision for a building, which addresses all the needs in a unique synthesis.
Where in the world is the most fascinating city architecturally? Sydney is a dynamic city that has a lot of excellent modern buildings that respond very well to their climate and context.
Name one or two buildings in Ottawa that you consider to be well designed and why. Ottawa’s Parliament buildings and Notre Dame Cathedral have layers of craftsmanship and detailing that are endlessly absorbing. For a modern building I would choose the Unitarian Church on the Ottawa River Parkway near Woodroffe.
What are the design strategies that you try to include in your work? Synthesizing something unique that works functionally, socially, environmentally and aesthetically.
October 17, 2010
“And the winner is……”
We are very proud to let you know that our firm won 3 awards at last night’s GOHBA (Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association) Housing Design Awards gala. We received top honours in these categories: Custom Kitchen (160 to 219sq.ft); Renovations/Additions ($100,000 to $200,000); and for a custom home in the “Open Category” (for homes outside of the greater Ottawa area).
The award for Custom Kitchen went to a newly finished home named “House in the Forest” which will be up on our website in the near future, but you can look below for a sneak peak of the winning kitchen.
The award for Renovations/Additions went to the “Rockcliffe Renovation” which we co-submitted with RND Construction. And in the Open Category the award went to our “Moraine House” – which also won the 2010 Ontario Home Builders Association award for best custom home (2500 to 5000sq.ft).
We thank all of the people who were involved in building or renovating these homes, and of course we thank the homeowners for choosing to work with us on these special projects.
September 22, 2010
CSA Wins 2 OHBA Housing Design Awards
Our firm won 2 Most Outstanding Custom Home awards last night at the annual Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA) “Awards of Distinction” Gala. Held in Windsor, Christopher Simmonds was there to receive the awards for our “Moraine House” in Caledon that won in the 2500 to 5000 sq.ft. category, and for the “Waters Edge” home in Mississauga that was the winner for homes over 5000 sq.ft.
Moraine House: Most Outstanding Custom Home, 2500 to 5000 sq.ft.
Waters Edge Home: Most Outstanding Custom Home, 5000 sq.ft. and over.
Have a look under the Work section of our website to see more photos and descriptions of these two gorgeous projects.
September 17, 2010
New projects added to our website
Have a look at the Work section of our website to check out 4 new projects. Under “Custom Homes and Gardens” we have added a stunning home in the Laurentians which is all about modern design and elegance. Also in that category is the “Manotick Country Estate” home – a home ready for informal entertaining and designed for maximum flexibility for how it’s used and lived in. Under “Traditional Homes and Restoration” we have completed two renovations. The 1980s “Rockcliffe Renovation” got a major facelift – taking it from tired to terrific by opening up its interior spaces and adding about 85 sq.ft of living space. The “Wilton Residence” is an older home that has been renovated with great care to respect its heritage. The results – an older home for modern living.
More pictures and a description of this home can be found here or by clicking on Traditional Homes & Restoration under Work.
August 24, 2010
5 CSA homes nominated as finalists in upcoming GOHBA Awards
We are thrilled to be a finalist for 5 of our new projects in the upcoming Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association Housing Design Awards to be held October 16th at the National Gallery of Canada. In the “Renovation” category, our homes in Rockcliffe and the Glebe have been nominated. For “New Custom Homes”, our projects in Manotick and Rockland have been recognized. The Rockland home is also a finalist in the “Custom Kitchen” category. And lastly, our Moraine House in Caledon has been nominated as a finalist in the “Open Category” (meaning it is situated outside of the Greater Ottawa area).
You can see a full description and photos of the Moraine house – under the Work section of our website. Details for the other projects will be on our website soon – we’ll post a news item when they’re up!
August 3, 2010
Another fabulous project has been added to our website
We have recently completed a home in Caledon, Ontario - “The Moraine House” - which is now showcased on our website. Not surprisingly this stunning home has been nominated as a finalist in the Open Category for the upcoming Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association Housing Design Awards.
The homeowners are thrilled with their new space; “Christopher’s work is truly inspired. He balanced the rhythm of nature with the needs of our lifestyle. For us he not only created the most beautiful house we could imagine, but also a space we can call home.”
More photos and a description of this home can be found here or by clicking on Custom Homes & Gardens under Work.
July 22, 2010
Don Peterman joins Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors
A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live” – Habitat for Humanity vision statement.
Ever since Don Peterman saw a 1998 episode of Bob Vila’s This Old House featuring a Habitat for Humanity project outside of Atlanta, he knew he wanted to be involved some day. So he was delighted when he was recently approached to become a Board member. Over the next three years he will be actively involved in two main committees – Build, and Land Acquisition.
Don’s professional career spans 40 years in architectural design, construction project coordination and contract administration – in both public and private construction.
See the Habitat for Humanity website for more information - www.habitatncr.com.
June 17, 2010
Scotiabank EcoLiving Website
Scotiabank has launched an EcoLiving program to help Canadian homeowners discover what green options are available to them around their home, or as they renovate or build a home.
We are delighted to be featured on their EcoLiving website www.ecoliving.scotiabank.com as a firm with a philosophy that puts the environment up front. Whether it's through design, or efficient energy systems, or choice of materials - we strive for our projects to be environmentally responsible. Chris Simmonds is a leader in the area of design and environmental responsibility and was awarded Canada Green Building Council's (Ottawa Chapter) Leadership Award in 2008 for "fostering sustainable design, construction and management of buildings." Our architects are encouraged to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, and to promote these principles in their work.
The Scotiabank article found here highlights our energy efficient "Escarpment House" (shown below), the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre which was the first LEED Gold certified building in eastern Ontario, and 92 Holland Avenue. Have a look under our "Work" section for more information on these, and other projects.
June 4, 2010
ONE3ONE Holland Avenue
We were delighted to attend Domicile Development’s event on May 27th to launch the condos we designed at 131 Holland Avenue. Designed with the neighborhood in mind, this modern building – spanning 8 floors including a penthouse level - will fit right into the streetscape of Ottawa’s lively cultural and arts “Hintonburg” area. Our firm brought a strong environmental consciousness to the project which means it will be a candidate for LEED certification due to its superior building envelope, water and energy conservation technologies, and use of environmentally responsible materials and finishes throughout. Have a look at the renderings. We’ll keep you posted on developments as the building is consructed.
For more information about Domicile's newly launched condos, visit their website at http://one3one.ca.
May 19, 2010
“Performance Matters”
Chris Simmonds and Mark Lucuik (Morrison Hershfield) are teaming up to present a case study on the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre. Their session falls under the Economics and Innovation Stream that explores the business case for building green and the role of buildings in the green economy. Functioning as both an office building and park visitor centre, it was the first building in Eastern Ontario to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is exemplary in its design, site restoration and water conservation features. Christopher Simmonds Architect designed the Centre (located in Manotick, Ontario), and Morrison Hershfield were the LEED consultants. More details and photos about the building can be found under the "work" section of our website.
Canada Green Building Council - National Conference, June 8-10, 2010 Vancouver.
For more information about the conference, visit their website at www.cagbc.org.
May 17, 2010
New Careers Section
Have a look – we’ve put a new “Careers” feature on our website under “About”. While we are not always looking for new people to join our team – we do keep resumes on file. So if you’re interested in working for our firm – let us know.
Having said that, we are currently seeking candidates for two positions – an architect (8+ years experience) with strong design and project leadership skills, and an architectural technologist with 5+ years experience. Visit “Careers” for more information.
May 10, 2010
Our “Escarpment Home” is published in Toronto Life
We are delighted that the Toronto Life Home Guide 2010 has featured this wonderful home built into the Niagara Escarpment in Halton Hills. We already knew it was a winner – having taken two major awards in 2006 – Most Outstanding Home (in its size category) from the Ontario Home Builders Association, and Best Project from the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (open category). The story, which highlights the owners’ use and enjoyment of his surroundings, can be found here. You can also see more photos under the Work heading of our website.
May 9, 2010
Life in Greyscale
The greywater and rainwater reuse system at the RVCC has been featured in an article in the May/June issue of Water Canada magazine.
The PDF of the article can be downloaded here.
May 7, 2010
Green Building Ottawa Conference - May 14th
Chris and Vince will be speaking on Building Design for Disassembly and Adaptability which falls beautifully under the conference theme; “retrofit – sustainability of the future.” Chris will be giving a case study of Mountain Equipment Co-op discussing issues related to materials, environmental benefits/impacts and extending building utilization and functions. Christopher Simmonds Architect designed Mountain Equipment Co-op in joint venture with Linda Chapman Architect.
The conference, hosted by the Ottawa Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, runs from May 12 to 14 at Carleton University. You can visit the conference website here.
May 5, 2010
Check out our Waters Edge Home on YouTube
The homeowners of this stunning project in Mississauga have put a video of their home on YouTube. Completed in 2009, we entered this home in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association Housing Design Awards competition and it won the coveted “People’s Choice Award”. Have a look at the video – showcasing both the exterior and interior – and you’ll see why!
May 3, 2010
Chris Simmonds and RND Construction team up on LEED Gold retrofit for 4té inc.
The partners of the interior design firm 4té inc. (formerly Gansen Lindsay Design) are delighted with their new office space. Chris Simmonds and Roy Nandrum (RND Construction) collaborated once again – this time on a renovation of a 12,000 sq.ft. warehouse on Breezehill Avenue in the Hintonburg area of Ottawa – and turned it into a bright, modern, minimalist office space. Better yet, the client’s interest in being environmental responsible meant making this retrofit as "green" as possible – which is right in line with the thinking of CSA and RND Construction. Together, everyone worked to achieve this goal - from the design of the new building, to the demolition practices of the existing warehouse, and to the materials and energy system choices for the new building. The result is a building that will likely achieve LEED Gold for commercial interiors.
The April 2010 issue of Ottawa Construction News tells the whole story of this project.
Our firm and RND Construction have partnered on a number of projects – have a look at the "work" section of our website where you can see our joint endeavours including: "Accu-Lift Flooring System", "Beament Green". "43/45 Eccles", "Wind & Water", "Courtyard Home", "Butterfly Garden". "Arbour Court", "Kenwood Renovation" and "Swans Way renovation".
May 1, 2010
Genuine Sustainability: the future of green communities
Chris Simmonds and Greg Searle, Executive Director of BioRegional North America, are jointly presenting at GOHBA’s “Build Green Ottawa” tradeshow and dinner meeting on Tuesday May 4th, on the topic of "Genuine Sustainability: the future of green communities"
Greg, who is responsible for building partnerships to create One Planet Communities in Canada and the United States, is an expert on sustainable lifestyles. He has led teams in developing Sustainability Action Plan and Green Lifestyle programs – setting the most ambitious targets for green communities yet seen in North America. BioRegional has worked on many of the leading green developments in North America and is deeply networked with cutting-edge developments and sustainability initiatives worldwide. With our firm’s strong interest in these issues and practices, it is a perfect partnership that Chris Simmonds will join Greg to speak on this subject.
April 27, 2010
Café Scientifique
Christopher Simmonds will be part of a panel on Tuesday April 27th to discuss “Living well or living fair – is there an ecobalance?” Café Scientifique are a series of discussions organized by the Canadian Museum of Nature in partnership with the Canadian Science Technology Museum. The other two panelists for this event are Lori Gadzala, Executive Director of the Ottawa Regional Chapter, Canada Green Building Council; and Woytek Kujawski, Senior Researcher Sustainable Housing Group with CMHC.
The panelists will be asked to comment on the fact that more and more 21st century homes are embracing the principle of sustainability as technologies improve with better ecological materials. But it can be challenging to have an environmentally sensitive home that is also affordable and satisfies personal taste. Can we leave it up to individuals to pursue their own eco-balance, or should be expect government to get more involved?
The public is welcome to attend this panel discussion which takes place at the Fox and Feather Pub at 283 Elgin Street, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
January 27, 2010
Have a look at 5 more great projects
We’re proud to showcase five more projects on our site – have a look under “Work” where you can find two more “community and public” projects –Wakefield-LaPêche Community Centre and the Ottawa offices of MHPM. We’ve also added a bungalow renovation (Swans Way) and boathouse under “custom homes & gardens”; and lastly in the “traditional homes & restoration” category we’ve added the Rolling Hills home.
With the exception of the community centre, all of these projects are finished with our clients happily living or working in their new spaces. The Swans Way bungalow was able to accommodate large parties through the month of December – something the original house could not have coped with!
The Muskoka Lakes boathouse is a fabulous building in an amazing setting. This structure will be magnificent in every season. In fact, we used a water colour version for our Christmas card this year:
Our renovation of the MHPM offices in Ottawa provides their staff with an elegant and fully efficient office space. The use of materials and finishes with an environmental conscience was a focus for this project.
Rolling Meadows is indeed just that. The house nestles into a slope, and is surrounded by rolling hills, woods and streams. Visual sight lines throughout provide vistas of the stunning exterior courtyard which is a main focus of this home.
We continue to work on the Community Centre in Wakefield, which has a tentative completion date of Spring 2011. It is a pleasure to work with the community to design a building in a wonderful setting that is going to be a gathering spot, cultural hub and recreational centre for the people in the area. We have posted some of the renderings of the building.
January 15, 2010
Congratulations to our new LEED Accredited Professionals
We consider looking after the environment to be a critical part of our way of doing business. So we want our architects to have a thorough understanding of green building practices and familiarity with LEED building requirements, resources and processes. We are therefore proud to announce that three more members of our architectural staff have become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professionals. Congratulations to Paul Cooper, Ryan McLennan and Don Peterman.
January 4, 2010
We’re growing!
Paul Cooper has joined our team, bringing with him nine years experience in residential and commercial architecture. He hit the ground running, and is totally immersed in and enjoying (so he tells us!) many projects at CSA.
You can view his profile here.
October 23, 2009
Welcome to our new site!
Well, it's not really new - but it is improved and we hope easier to navigate and to get a more complete feel for what our firm is all about. To that end, we have added some features; not the least of which is this "news" section which we hope you will visit often to see what we're up to.
We have added some new features; one of which is to introduce you to our team of extraordinary architects. Under this same section you will find an expanded discussion of our firm profile and design philosophy - all under the umbrella of "holistic and sustainable design."
Lastly, some bragging rights. You can now see our award winning designs via two ways - we have identified a project's awards or honours under each project description, plus you can view them as a group under the separate link "awards and publications".
We are delighted with our new look. We think you'll enjoy the wonderful photography and will find the site informative as you click through the different pages.
As always, we appreciate your comments - let us know what you think! We look forward to hearing from you.
October 19, 2009
Awards, Awards, Awards...
The Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association (GOHBA) held their annual Housing Design Awards Gala on October 17th where our firm took home honours in four categories:
- Best Renovation/Addition, $350,000 to $499,000
- Best Green Renovation
- Best Custom Kitchen over 220 sq.ft,, under $75,000
- Ottawa Citizen People's Choice Award
The first three awards listed above were won by our renovation project on Kenwood Avenue. Have a look at it on under our "work" pages.
And it turns out that Ottawa likes "gorgeous," as the Citizen's People's Choice award went to a home in Mississauga with a definite WOW factor. Be inspired and take a look at our "Waters Edge" home.
Plus...
The Ontario Home Builder's Association Awards of Distinction selected three of our projects at this year's gala event in Niagara Falls.
- Best Kitchen went to the eclectically styled Kenwood Avenue Kitchen in Westboro.
- Best Low-Rise High Density Development was awarded to our 93/95 Riverdale project.
- Best Custom Home, 2,500 to 5,000 sq.ft. was awarded to Arbour Court Home (which also won two years ago at the Greater Ottawa Home Builder's Awards).
And...
We are also delighted to announce that the Rideau Valley Conservation Centre was awarded first place in the Ontario Builder's Awards, for projects under $10 million, by the Ontario General Contractor's Association. Thank you to Lundy Construction for submitting this project on behalf of the project team.
