mcCallumSather

The Earth Sciences & Chemistry Building Third Floor Renovations project at the University of Waterloo has received the Excellence in Whole Building / Holistic Design - Renovation award at the Lab Design News Excellence Awards. This marks the project’s first international recognition, celebrating an approach that transformed a decades-old research environment into a modern, collaborative, and high-performing facility for the Faculty of Science. Rather than replacing the existing building, the project focused on extending its life through thoughtful renewal - improving building flow, daylight access, research functionality, energy performance, and long-term flexibility while preserving the value of the original structure. From reimagining outdated laboratory layouts into connected research communities, to integrating advanced low-carbon mechanical systems within a complex existing building, the project demonstrates that design excellence is not limited to new construction. Some of the most impactful work happens through reinvention, adaptation, and care for what already exists. Congratulations to the entire project team and our partners at the University of Waterloo on this international recognition. @uofwaterloo Structural – @blackwellengineers Electrical – @stantec Cost – Hanscomb Fire & Safety - @vortex.fire Photography by @adrianozimek.photo

For the month of April, our focus shifted outward - as a reminder of who our work is ultimately for. Some of that showed up directly, through our Earth Day initiatives. We spent time engaging with the idea of community at a local, everyday scale. Not as a one-time effort, but a series of smaller, shared actions that build over time. That same thinking carried through in our project work. The emphasis was on creating spaces that support how people live, gather, and access services - whether that is through civic and community-focused environments or more intentional approaches to accessible design. There was also external recognition of this work, through recent award wins and nominations. While each reflects a different aspect of the work we do, together they demonstrate a broader idea: that thoughtful, well-considered design has a measurable impact on the communities it serves. None of these moments stand alone - they reflect a shared approach. Community isn't something added at the end. It shapes how we listen, collaborate, and make decisions from the start. It is built over time, through consistency and care. That is what this past month reinforced - not just the role community plays in our work, but the responsibility to keep it at the centre of it.

Small shifts, carried consistently, start to shape something much bigger. In honour of Earth Day, our team took on a Sustainable Living Challenge - exploring how everyday decisions can better support our communities and the environment. What stood out wasn’t one big gesture, but the accumulation of thoughtful, intentional choices over time. That’s exactly what came through in Intermediate Mechanical Designer Kseniia Kozy’s submission. For Kseniia and her family, sustainability isn’t a checklist; it’s just how they live. From shampoo bars and bulk refills to biking in the snow and picking up litter on walks, their day-to-day is full of small, thoughtful choices that add up. As she put it, it’s “more of a personality trait” than a habit. What made her video so fun to watch is that even with all of that already in place, she still found ways to take it a step further - switching to cloth diapers, reusing water, and even making their own soy yogurt. It’s a great reminder that there’s always room to try something new, and that these small, everyday efforts really do make a difference.

Proud to see 1120 Ossington, our mass timber affordable housing project has been named a finalist in the AZ Awards Social Good category, recognizing design that drives real community impact. 🏗️ Developed with partners @assemblycorp_ , @smartdensity , @mcCallumSather , @aspectengineers and @loftinmanagment for St.Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, this 25-unit, 3-storey project shows how thoughtful design can deliver affordable, dignified housing. The multi-unit residential project is a gorgeous thoughtful building inside and out. It features beautiful exposed cross-laminated timber ceilings and public art on the exterior, showing that affordable housing can be efficient, functional and beautiful. 👉 If you believe housing is essential infrastructure, and that great design has a role to play in it, please cast your vote for this project in the People’s Choice Award voting. Voting is open until May 8th! The @azuremagazine winners (including jury winners), will be announced at the AZ Awards Gala on May 28, 2026 in Toronto. 🔗 Vote today! (note you do have to create a free account in order to vote) #AZAwards #SocialGood #AffordableHousing #MassTimber #Element5

Cast your vote! 📣 1120 Ossington has been named a finalist for the AZ Awards Social Good category, recognizing projects that advance equity and community impact through design. Developed with St.Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, the project delivers transitional, affordable housing rooted in dignity and long-term resilience. Public voting is open until May 8. Please consider supporting the project in the People’s Choice Award category. Learn more through the link in our bio. 📸 Photography by @riley_s_photo Partners: @smartdensity @assemblycorp_ Project Team: Hammerschlag & Joffe Inc. @birnie_electric @aspectengineers @loftinmanagment @elementfiveco @leokrukowski @quinndesign_qda

This Earth Day, our team was tasked to make a shift. Not a complete lifestyle overhaul. Just one or two changes that could be carried through daily life. Here is what that looked like across mcCallumSather: Clothing swaps instead of buying new. Walking or biking to work or school a few days a week. Carpooling from Dundas, Ancaster, and across Hamilton. Switching to reusable containers, mugs, and wraps, and cloth diapers. Taking the stairs instead of elevators. Using libraries, thrift stores, and antique markets. Taking transit instead of driving. Composting, unplugging devices, choosing low-waste alternatives. Small decisions. Nothing extreme. Just different. If each of these shifts were carried through for a full year, they would add up to an estimated 5 to 6 tonnes of avoided carbon emissions per person. That is roughly the equivalent of taking a car off the road for a year. Now scale that. If every person in Ontario made similar changes, it would be the equivalent of removing 16 to 20 million cars from the road. Across Canada, that number grows to 44 to 52 million cars. The point is not perfection. It is that small, consistent changes, made collectively, are anything but small. Happy Earth Day 🌍

Accessible design is essential to creating housing solutions that truly supports people over time, yet it’s often treated as something to be added in later. At 1370 Barton, we are working with Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes to take a different approach, embedding accessibility from the start. Currently in progress, this six-storey, 55-unit building is being designed with 100% accessible suites. Besides the units themselves, the shared spaces are carefully considered to support connection and reduce isolation. This approach to design doesn't come from simply checking boxes - but rather from real conversations with the people it will directly impact. That is why it feels especially meaningful to share that Brian Torrens (Associate, Architect) has been appointed to the CSA Technical Committees for B651 (Accessible Design for the Built Environment) and B652 (Accessible Dwellings). These committees help shape the standards that guide accessible design across Canada. Brian’s appointment reflects a thoughtful, hands-on approach to accessibility in the built environment, one that is grounded in real projects and real people. Projects like 1370 Barton are one way this thinking takes shape in everyday life.

Since 2011, Azure Magazine has recognized projects from around the world that push design beyond aesthetics, towards something more meaningful. The AZ Awards Social Good category, in particular, highlights work that actively advances equity, sustainability, and the well-being of communities. It’s a space reserved for projects that don’t just respond to need, but help redefine what responsible design can look like in practice. This year, 1120 Ossington has been named a finalist for the AZ Awards Social Good Award. Designed for St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society, this three-storey, 25-unit development was created in response to a very real and urgent need: transitional, affordable housing in Toronto. But more than that, it reflects a broader belief that housing should be designed with the same care, dignity, and long-term thinking as any other building. We see projects like 1120 Ossington as part of a broader responsibility. Housing is more than a building type - it is essential infrastructure that supports stability, health, and opportunity. That means staying engaged through complexity, working closely with non-profit partners, and delivering solutions that are practical, durable, and grounded in real community needs. Being named a finalist is meaningful for lots of reasons - not just for being recognized alongside other thoughtful projects across Canada and the world, but as confirmation that this approach matters. It reflects the value of design that prioritizes equity, collaboration, and long-term impact. It is a reminder that when we design with intention, we’re contributing to something much bigger than a single project. Learn more about the AZ Awards, and vote for the People's Choice through the link in our bio. Partners: @smartdensity @assemblycorp_ Project Team: Hammerschlag & Joffe Inc. @birnie_electric @aspectengineers @loftinmanagment @elementfiveco @leokrukowski @quinndesign_qda Photography by @riley_s_photo

The 60 Bowden project is progessing and is a great example of how modern construction methods like CLT prefabricated floor panels and wall panel systems can help bring a project to life even faster, especially in dense neighbourhoods. When completed, this great project will deliver 50 senior housing units in the Greektown neighbourhood of Toronto, while maintaining the historic character of the Danforth Baptist Church. Project Team: Design Builder: @assemblycorp_ Client: @woodgreendotorg General Contractor: @loftinmanagment Supply Of Mass Timber: @elementfiveco Supply Of PreFab Walls: @fab.structures Install Of All Systems: @timberpanelgroup Architect: @mccallumsather — Le projet 60 Bowden progresse et constitue un excellent exemple de la façon dont les méthodes de construction modernes, comme les panneaux de plancher en CLT préfabriqués et les systèmes de panneaux muraux, peuvent permettre de réaliser un projet encore plus rapidement, en particulier dans les quartiers denses. The 60 Bowden project is progressing and is a great example of how modern construction methods like CLT prefabricated floor panels and wall panel systems can help bring a project to life even faster, especially in dense neighbourhoods.

The University of Waterloo came to us with a challenge: an outdated lab floor that no longer supported how their researchers actually work. Years of incremental updates had left the space fragmented, hard to navigate, and limiting collaboration. We reworked it, together. As an integrated team, the focus was simple: make the space easier to use. The layout was reorganized around a single, daylit corridor, replacing a dark, double-loaded plan with a clear spine that improves wayfinding, safety, and visibility. Labs, grad spaces, and faculty offices now connect along this edge, with shared areas that support everyday interaction. Inside the labs, flexibility was built in from the start. Modular casework allows spaces to shift over time. Mechanical systems were upgraded to improve air quality, stability, and comfort, while reducing the background noise and variability that can impact research. Daylight and sightlines reach deeper into the floor, making the space feel more open and connected. It comes down to a simple idea: start with how people use the space, then align the design and systems to support it. That approach was recently recognized with a Green Building Award from SABMag. Stay tuned for a project feature in their Summer issue that takes a closer look at the renovation. View the full project profile on our website. @uofwaterloo Structural - @blackwellengineers Electrical - @stantec Cost – Hanscomb Fire & Safety - @vortex.fire

Good work starts with good people. We’re always looking for thoughtful, driven individuals who are curious, collaborative, and motivated to make an impact. People who ask questions, share ideas, and are passionate about the work they do - from conception to completion. If that sounds like you, please reach out! Even if there are no active postings, we’re always open to the conversation.

When the Town of Grimsby looked at the Peach King Centre, they were asking how it could better serve a growing and changing community. For years, it functioned as an arena. It worked, but it was limited. Not enough flexibility, not enough access, and not reflective of how people actually use recreation spaces today. We worked alongside Town staff to rethink the building from that starting point. That meant challenging earlier assumptions, expanding the program, and helping them see what was possible. A new addition brings a double gym, walking track, fitness and youth spaces, and flexible rooms, while upgrades strengthen the existing arena. A reoriented entrance and light-filled lobby improve how the building flows, supported by durable materials, a high-performance envelope, and an all-electric strategy designed for long-term performance. All of it delivered while the arena stayed open. For us, this is what working with municipalities should look like. Not just delivering a building, but helping clients make informed decisions and get more out of what they already have. Read the full release and learn more about the project through the link in our bio. Photography by @adrianozimek.photo @town.of.grimsby @aquiconconstruction @exp_global_inc @mte_consultants @omc.studio @thorntontomasetti