SBC’s Lifetime Achievement Awards have been given annually to 3 individuals who meet the criteria of delivering meaningful change to the built environment through a focus on improving environmental performance.  Recipients are selected by the SBC Board on the basis of both their accomplishments and their long-term dedication to the cause of sustainability.  Past awardees include architects, engineers, practitioners and policy makers – all of whom met these criteria.

This year, Sustainable Buildings Canada is excited to recognize 2 individuals and for the first time an organization that has been at the forefront of green building design for almost 30 years.

Linda Chapman

Linda Chapman has been the principal of Linda Chapman Architect, one of the leading eco-architectural practices in eastern Ontario for the past 25 years. The practice has been the recipient of numerous design and green building awards ranging from early adoption of The Integrated Design Team process, using Biomass construction materials such as Straw Bales, to Designing for Disassembly and future recycling. The Ottawa Mountain Equipment Co-op store and the later addition & renovation embodied all these innovations. 

Linda was instrumentally involved in research, testing, and promoting sustainable design in the “early days” with NRCan, IRAP, the OAA’s Committee on the Environment and the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association’s Green Building Committee.  She has been a strong advocate of the numerous green building ratings systems, building energy audits and blower door tests. Project highlights include the first single-family LEED platinum house in Ottawa, numerous single family Passive Houses and developing a Net Zero Energy 4-unit Condominium Project. Design excellence of super energy efficient residential architecture has remained the touchstone of her practice. Despite her many accomplishments Linda is nevertheless happy to have retired in 2020 and looks forward to passing the “green building” torch on to the next generation.

Richard Lay

Richard is a mechanical and biological engineer with 40 years’ experience designing building mechanical services, water and wastewater systems and working for healthy indoor environments in housing, institutional and commercial buildings. He has also enjoyed careers in ski coaching and metalwork. Richard helped establish the design group at Enermodal Engineering which became a predominant presence in the Canadian LEED profession. He has worked internationally and has many professional and industry awards for innovative and high performing building designs. Through the Enbridge Savings by Design program delivered by Sustainable Buildings Canada, Richard is a Subject Matter Expert advising building design teams on mechanical systems to improve the energy and water performance of diverse projects.

L’oeuf Architectes

The 3^rd award goes to an organization –l’oeuf Architectes – Danny Pearl, Sudhir Suri and Jennifer Benis and the co-founder of l’Oeuf, Mark Poddubiuk.

For more than seventeen years, l’ŒUF has developed its reputation particularly in the fields of sustainable and environmental architecture. The expertise of the partners is recognized for the architectural quality of their projects, their technical and professional skills and their active participation in the academic, professional and community context. This expertise is always based on the search for a balance between the appropriate technique, the economic feasibility, the architectural expression and the environmental impact of the project.

Read more about this year’s recipients here