“The Jury sees this type of project as a positive step in city building and encourages similar approaches to integrating affordable housing into existing communities.”

—Jury of the 2023 City of Ottawa Urban Design Awards

Located at 811 Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa, Rochester Heights Redevelopment Phase 1 (aka “Mosaïq”) is an affordable and sustainable urban community owned and operated by Ottawa Community Housing.

In its first phase, the redevelopment of Rochester Heights redefines this urban site by carefully addressing the scale and building articulation at each of its street fronts while placing emphasis on creating vibrant and inviting exterior gathering spaces. As the first residential Passive House project of this scale in Canada, the building’s innovative design adheres to strict Phius standards resulting in a defining aesthetic. The project serves as a catalyst for a thriving, sustainable and socially inclusive development within a safe and durable environment while instilling pride and a sense of place for its inhabitants.

The project was completed in 2022, and our team is now preparing the construction documents for the second phase of redevelopment.

The distinguished panel of jurors consisted of Brigitte Shim (Shim-Sutcliffe Architects), Graeme Stewart (ERA Architects) and Anne Bordeleau (Director of the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton University).

“This exemplar project is an example of how to provide increased density and affordable housing within an existing neighborhood through the use of appropriate height, scale and site design. The energy performance and resiliency targets were also exemplary.”

—Jury of the 2023 City of Ottawa Urban Design Awards

Hobin Architecture was the only team to receive an Award of Excellence in both 2023 and 2021. Rochester Heights Redevelopment Phase 1 marks the eleventh Ottawa Urban Design Award to be received by Hobin. As an Award of Excellence recipient, Rochester Heights Redevelopment Phase 1 will automatically be considered for an RAIC National Urban Design Award in 2024. To learn more about Rochester Heights Redevelopment Phase One, please visit the 811 Gladstone Avenue project page.

Award of Merit – Greystone Village

Greystone Village also received an Award of Merit in the Public Places and Civic Spaces category, recognizing the project’s pathway connections along the Rideau River waterfront between the new community and its neighbours to north and south. Greystone Village was master planned in 2014 through a collaborative effort by Hobin Architecture, Novatech and eQ Homes/Regional Group.

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Gord Lorimer: Over 40 Years of Design for Community

As Gord Lorimer, Partner, takes a step back from the firm’s leadership towards retirement, we give thanks for his contribution to the team. Gord’s role will shift now to “Partner, Special Projects” as he remains active with the firm on a part-time basis, and his commitment will focus on project types that are near and dear to his heart, such as City Building and faith-based work.

“You were my first employee. Over five decades, you have been the most collaborative person I have ever worked with, and that’s incredibly special…you are foundational to a lot of the core values of the firm,” comments Barry Hobin as the team bids farewell in a personal video presentation. Watch our website for an upcoming retrospective of Gord’s achievements and contributions over his 40+ years with Hobin Architecture.

Dan Henhoeffer Appointed Director

Hobin Architecture wishes to congratulate Dan Henhoeffer, Senior Technologist, on becoming a Director of the company. Dan joined our team in 2014, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the detailed design, construction documentation and project management of projects in a wide range of sectors. Notable achievements include the Bayview Yards design-build project for Invest Ottawa, The Annex Student Residence at uOttawa and Riocan’s City Park Drive Mixed-Use Village.

Along with leading a number of major projects through production and construction, Dan has championed our firm’s implementation of parametric building modeling using Revit software. This technology allows us to produce highly coordinated construction documentation very quickly, through the intelligence that is built into the 3D model.

Dan joins Directors Reinhard Vogel and Marc Thivierge.

GOHBA Awards Finalists | Cast Your Vote!

All six projects entered in this year’s Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association design awards have advanced to the Finalist stage. Online voting for the esteemed Peoples’ Choice Award takes place from Oct. 20 to 25 for custom homes categories, and from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 for production homes and condos. Please cast your vote at www.gohbavote.ca. Winners will be announced at the virtual gala in November.

Bill Ritcey: Celebrating 12 Years of Leadership in Wood Frame Design

Over his twelve years with the firm, Bill Ritcey had the pleasure of working on projects with such clients as Uniform Developments, Springcress Properties, eQ Homes, Huntington Properties and Gemstone Developments. Bill has passed along a wealth of knowledge and skill to Hobin’s wood frame group, and his mark left on the firm’s portfolio is evidence of his dedication to quality and design excellence.

Recent Project Milestones

Ottawa Community Housing’s “Mosaïq” project at 811 Gladstone Avenue is Canada’s largest residential Passive House. OCH’s Robert MacNeil and Gordon Downes joined the Hobin project team for a group photo shortly after the project was topped off.

Project Team: Gord Lorimer, Doug Brooks, Marc Thivierge, Leila Emmrys, Scott Labrosse, Juan Gomez, Shawn Leduc.

This custom residence overlooking McKay Lake in Rockcliffe Park is now complete thanks to our wood frame team and builder Roca Homes. The 5,400 sq.ft home has been nominated for a North American Copper in Architecture Award.

Project Team: Rheal Labelle, Kent Bugatsch, Barry Hobin.

Zibi’s “Kanaal” is the first building to be occupied on the Ontario side of the Domtar Lands redevelopment which straddles the Ottawa River. As a One Planet Community, Zibi achieves the highest green building standards for materials, water, energy and indoor air quality, and is a zero carbon sustainability showpiece.

Project Team: Gord Lorimer, Doug Brooks, Patrick Bisson, Ammar Jaratly.

“Milieu,” the first phase of Greystone’s mixed-use complex topped off recently, with the second phase advancing not far behind. The project will knit 235 rental apartments and ground floor retail space into the master planned redevelopment of the former Oblate Lands on Main Street by Regional Group. Milieu will be the third apartment building at Greystone, with the River Terraces now nearing completion.

Project Team: Marc Thivierge, Alison Legere, Hugo Latreille, Jeff Chaput, Noor Alqaaod.

Reinhard Vogel, Project Director, tours the site of The Grove Redevelopment with Darrel O’Shaughnessy from the Men’s Shed in Arnprior. Construction of the new 96-bed long-term care home has advanced quickly through the summer months and is nearly enclosed.

Project Team: Wendy Brawley, Reinhard Vogel, Bryan Bonell, Melanie Lamontagne, Claudio Zhang.

At 31,855 square feet, Farm Boy’s largest store to date opened in Newmarket in September, featuring all new features such as a warehouse-inspired cafe, kombucha bar and a shipping container chip truck. The brand expansion includes new exterior identity elements that are being rolled out at new locations across the province.

Project Team: Rheal Labelle, David Anderson.

Bayview Yards – Green Building Award

Ottawa’s innovation centre, Cours Bayview Yards, has garnered a Canadian Green Building Award for excellence in building renewal. The project showcases the potential for the adaptive reuse of vacant industrial buildings, executed affordably and sustainably. The jury were impressed by how such a reinvention “can transform the dynamics of a neighbourhood, create a sense of place, and at the same time support social and cultural continuity.” They also noted that “the LEED Gold certification is exemplary for an adaptive reuse project.”

Pictured above are team members Leila Emmrys, Sandy Davis, Dan Henhoeffer and Hugo Latreille. The Bayview Yards Design Build Team includes Morley Hoppner, 4Té Inc, Adjeleian Allen Rubeli, Bouthillette Parizeau, CSW Landscape Architects, D. B. Gray Engineering Inc, Arborus Consulting, The Attain Group, Commonwealth Historic Resource Management.

Remembering Chip Piatti

Francesco (“Chip”) Piatti is remembered as being a soft spoken, good humoured gentleman, and a fountain of knowledge in architectural history and anthropology. This Thanksgiving, the Hobin team gives thanks for bringing us together with Chip over the years on office tours throughout the eastern USA; they have surely enriched us both professionally and personally. Please see the full tribute to Chip.

Barry J. Hobin Inducted into the Order of Ottawa

“The 2020 inductees into the Order of Ottawa are a group of tremendously accomplished residents whose leadership, creativity and hard work serve as an inspiration for us all,” said Mayor Jim Watson, who established this prestigious civic award in 2012. Barry proudly receives this honour along with his friends and mentors Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey (pictured above in 2019) and Dave O’Malley.

Barry is the only practicing Architect to be granted this esteem. Biographies of all the 2020 inductees are available on the City of Ottawa website.

Planning for the Future

In September, members of Hobin Architecture’s emerging leadership group met with strategic planning consultants Innovia Partners to consider their path into the future as the company continues to spread its wings. Thanks to The Opinicon for hosting our meeting and the socially distanced celebration that followed.

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