News & Press

May 6, 2025

Western North York Community Centre Wins Award!

Great news for the Western North York Community Centre - it has won the 2025 RAIC Research & Innovation in Architecture Award!  Designed by MJMA, we are proud to be providing commissioning for this groundbreaking project.

Key elements leading to the award include:

  • Integrating groundbreaking strategies to address energy-intensive recreational buildings, the facility incorporates several firsts for the city to radically reduce energy demand, making 100% offset from on-site renewable energy and a tight site possible. 
  • The project also introduced new standards for swimming pool construction, including lower-carbon concrete and innovative pool systems that required an unprecedented collaborative effort with the client group to ensure proper operation of the building. 
  • MJMA’s research-driven approach for the project was a catalyst for the studio to study and set new embodied carbon benchmarks for recreation facilities, a first in North America. 
  • Beyond environmental performance, the WNYCC fosters social resilience by connecting two neighbourhoods experiencing growth five times the city’s average. To ensure community integration, an extensive MJMA-led engagement campaign incorporated a diverse set of voices to determine the community’s needs. 

Read the full article HERE!

The scope of work for this project includes the planning, design and construction of a new 77,000 square foot state-of-the-art community and recreation centre that is intended to be a net zero emissions facility. The new centre will replace the existing Carmine Stefano Community Centre, currently being leased by the City. The new community centre will provide enhanced programming with no interruption to service.

With construction due to start, we are excited to see this project get underway, due to open in 2028.

 

Renderings courtesy of MJMA.

Why Commissioning