Lindsay Boathouse at Upper Canada College in Toronto has won two 2026 AIA National Awards: a 2026 AIA Architecture Award (1 of 10 recipients) and a 2026 AIA Education Facility Design Award (1 of 8 awarded).
Designed by VJAA (Lead Design Architect) in collaboration with RDHA (Local Architect and Canadian Architect of Record), the 9,400 square foot rowing facility on Toronto’s waterfront integrates boat storage bays, crew docks, launch areas, locker rooms, washrooms, and a flexible rowing training room that can be converted into a community event space. The entire site and facility are fully accessible.
The passively heated and cooled building has no mechanical systems. Environmental measures include the primary use of CLT, expansive bird-safe glazing for daylighting, passive ventilation, and green roofs. The boathouse, sited on a sensitive lakefront ecosystem, includes a launch area and crew docks.
Beyond serving the athletes at Upper Canada College, the boathouse plays a crucial role in the broader community and is a key piece of Ports Toronto’s masterplan to improve public access to the site and adjacent nature preserve.
Congratulations to the project team!
Client: Upper Canada College
Architects: VJAA (Lead Design Architect), RDHA (Architect of Record), |
Technical Consultants: Blackwell, Smith & Andersen, Valdor Engineering, NAK Design Strategies
Photography: DoubleSpace Photography