Photo Credit (Above): Younes Bounhar - Doublespace Photography
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Architecture Practice: LGA Architectural Partners Ltd.
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:
Ulster House reimagines the Canadian home through a new model of medium-density infill housing. Self-initiated by LGA Architectural Partners’ founders Janna Levitt and Dean Goodman, the project transformed a single-family lot into five compact homes with individual entrances that balance livability, affordability, and environmental performance.
As both a five-plex and a small condominium, Ulster House offers an alternative to detached houses and high-rise towers while maintaining the scale and character of its neighborhood. Closely followed by city planners, the project helped inform Toronto’s 2023 multiplex zoning reforms, demonstrating how thoughtful design can lead policy and support more inclusive urban growth.
Photo Credit: Younes Bounhar - Doublespace Photography
Photo Credit: LGA Architectural Partners
Photo Credit: Younes Bounhar - Doublespace Photography
This blOAAg post is part of a series exploring the OAA’s 20 Design Excellence Finalists for 2026, as selected by our jury.