Sault Ste. Marie architectural firm EPOH won the Northern Ontario Excellence Award at the annual WoodWorks! design awards gala in Toronto, Nov. 13.
The firm collaborated with Stem Engineering Group on the Batchewana First Nation Health Facility on the Rankin Reserve, near the Sault.
The building was designed in the form of a traditional longhouse with a large atrium and entries at each end. The atrium’s structure is formed with angled, glue-laminated timber columns and beams.
"Wood design in Ontario is experiencing a renaissance," said Marianne Berube, executive director of the Ontario WoodWorks! project. "We received 102 nominations this year, the most we've received in any given year, which is impressive when you consider that all of these projects have recently been built in Ontario."
WoodWorks! is an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council that promotes and supports the use of wood in all types of construction.
