Photo Credit (Above): Albert Vecerka

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Architecture Practice: Teeple Architects (Architect of Record; now Teeple Architects Canada Inc.) and Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism (Design Architect)

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:

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (SRIC) is designed to advance the University of Toronto's mission of linking academic research and entrepreneurial endeavors. At a critical juncture between the university's campus, the historic Legislature Grounds, and the city's growing Discovery District, this 13-storey building establishes a new gateway to Queen's Park and frames the heart of the University of Toronto's campus.

Interspersed throughout the building are multi-storey, publicly accessible winter gardens that link research neighborhoods and provide terraces with expansive views of the Toronto skyline. Integrating density, adaptability, and openness, SRIC offers a future-forward model grounded in urban, social, and ethical engagement.

Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka

Photo Credit: WEISS MANFREDI and Teeple Architects Canada Inc.

Photo Credit: Albert Vecerka

This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 20 Design Excellence Finalists for 2026, as selected by our jury.