York House Receives First-Ever Vancouver Urban Design Award

We are delighted to announce that the York House Senior building has been selected to receive a first-ever Vancouver Urban Design Award, from the City of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Urban Design Awards recognize and celebrate great architecture and excellence in urban design. Awards are given to projects that demonstrate visionary thinking and design excellence, with careful consideration of public spaces and the buildings that interact with these spaces [City of Vancouver].

The design of the York House senior building has been making waves in the architecture and design world since the building opened in September 2013. From World Architecture News, Award Magazine, to Canadian Architect and more, the consensus is that the informal work areas and flexible teaching spaces bring together students and teachers, encouraging creativity and collaboration.

A major design challenge of the building project was connecting all the existing buildings together, from the Junior School, the “underground” area, and north and south wings, to converge at one entry point. Read more about the design here.

Mark Ostry of Acton Ostry Architects accepted the award last night at a ceremony at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. Congratulations to all members of the project team. We are so very proud that the City has selected our school for this prestigious honour. Read more about all the award recipients here.

Michael Louie, past Chair, YHS Facilities Committee; Nathaniel Straathof, architect; Suren Sanmugasunderam, YHS Board Chair; Mark Ostry, architect; Chantal Gionet, Head of School; Susan Ockwell, architect; Russell Acton, architect, at the awards ceremony on September 15, 2014.
Michael Louie, past Chair, YHS Facilities Committee; Nathaniel Straathof, architect; Suren Sanmugasunderam, YHS Board Chair; Mark Ostry, architect; Chantal Gionet, Head of School; Susan Ockwell, architect; Russell Acton, architect, at the awards ceremony on September 15, 2014.