Photo Credit (Above):Scott Norsworthy
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Architecture Practice: DTAH Architects Limited
Chosen by a jury of respected design experts, the 20 projects comprising the OAA’s 2026 Design Excellence Finalists represent a diverse range of building types, including sustainably designed community centres, innovative housing solutions, revitalized academic and cultural facilities, and transformative public spaces. These finalists serve as the shortlist for the OAA’s 10 Design Excellence Winners, which will be announced next month and honoured at the OAA Conference in the Waterloo Region in May. The biennial OAA Design Excellence Awards program offers Ontario practices the opportunity to display the transformative influence of architecture, promoting broader public recognition and appreciation for the field. The following media statement has been supplied by the submitting project team:
Niagara Falls Exchange is a dynamic cultural hub supporting the local creative and agricultural community. It includes a culture and market hall, café, artist studios, workshop, and public washrooms framed by two plazas. Adjacent to the Niagara Falls History Museum, the site design emphasizes an interconnected public realm with adaptable indoor and outdoor spaces to support public programming.
Organized in two wings known as the Studio Building and Market Hall, the architecture employs a simple palette of wood, steel, and concrete, and its exposed steel and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure supports a sawtooth roof profile inspired by the city’s industrial heritage.
Photo Credit: Scott Norsworthy
Photo Credit: DTAH Architects Limited
Photo Credit: Scott Norsworthy
This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 20 Design Excellence Finalists for 2026, as selected by our jury.