At the heart of community is a rich sense of belonging. From intimate gathering rooms and places of worship to youth centres and masterplans, our team creates vibrant environments that bring people together and nurture relationships, providing a sense of place for all.
Ottawa, ON
Carp, ON
West Ottawa, ON
Ottawa, ON
Burlington, ON
St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata outgrew its original space and required a new facility to accommodate its growing parish. This new church represents the fourth building since the parish was established in 1822 on Young Road.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Kanata outgrew its original space and required a new facility to accommodate its growing parish. This new church represents the fourth building since the parish was established in 1822 on Young Road.
The previous church, a small stone veneer structure built in 1937, replaced a board and batten church that burned down in 1935. The new facility includes a sanctuary, hall, administration, and educational spaces, along with areas for social activities, meal preparation, and counseling.
The two-storey building is situated on a sloping site, with a grade entry basement that houses the Kanata Food Cupboard, providing additional community support alongside worship and educational spaces.
The West Carleton War Memorial was completed in 2017, to provide a new place of meeting and memory in the Town of Carp. Designed by VWA, the new cenotaph stands as a memorial to the men and women who fought abroad and on the homefront, to defend our shared Canadian way of life. It also serves as a testament to the efforts of so many community members who worked tirelessly to plan and build the memorial to ensure this important part of the community's heritage is held in its shared memory.
Community cenotaphs are a hallmark of small towns across Canada and serve as a memorial of the sacrifice made by so many in the First and Second World Wars and subsequent conflicts, to defend shared Canadian values that are the lynchpin of our communities. For decades, the village of Carp, west of Ottawa, was without a cenotaph to serve as an adequate reminder of this sacrifice. In 2012, a community group approached VWA and asked for help in designing a new place to remember. The Cenotaph is located on a crescent-shaped remnant of land at the intersection of Donald B. Munro Drive, and the foot of the steep and aptly-named Falldown Lane. This site was the historic site of the communal well, and is a poignant place of gathering, story-telling and memory in the village:
a gathering place,
a source of life
sustaining water,
fresh and free,
drawing folks,
drawing water.
Among the young who once drew water here were those that left well
to fight and some to die that we taste freedom now.
The new West Carleton War Memorial takes a more contemplative and community-oriented approach to the memory of those who served, rather than a more traditional granite cenotaph. Working with the sloped topography, a sweeping concrete wall carves out of the hillside, a place for the community to gather. To the west end of the memorial, the wall is purposefully left rough and broken to remind onlookers of the brutality of war, and sitting amongst the rubble is the bronze statue of a young First World-War soldier, his gun resting across his lap, reading a letter. Looking on, we imagine a letter from home. Our world intersects with his and we realize that he, like so many soldiers – men and women on the front lines – longed for home. In that moment, his mind is forever transported to another world, far from war.
At the centre of the memorial is the polished black granite slab with the names of the fallen inscribed on its black surface. On Remembrance Day at the 11th hour, the sun is directly behind those who remember and as each visitor walks quietly past the stone, their shadow falls solemnly across its face and across the names of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. The shadow passes and light and life prevail.
The bronze sculpture of the soldier was created by local artist Ron Cowle.
The Parish of St. Isidore has experienced significant growth since its first establishment on its site in western Ottawa. The original church was constructed in 1887, followed by the rectory in 1899, and the parish hall in 1979. As the community’s population increased, the existing facilities became inadequate to meet the needs of its expanding congregation. Recognizing the need for more space and modern amenities, an expansion plan was initiated to replace the older, smaller structures.
The new church facility was designed to reflect the evolving needs of its community. Key features include a spacious, welcoming foyer, a side chapel that doubles as a nursery, a cozy fireside meeting room, and a covered drop-off area for ease of access. The parish hall was expanded to provide ample assembly space for larger gatherings. To further enhance the connectivity between the sanctuary and parish hall, a one-storey link was constructed to seamlessly integrate the newly expanded church with the existing, renovated community center.
The architectural design of the new church uses wood and structural steel framing to give the building a sense of warmth and durability, while the exposed heavy timber trusses in the vaulted nave of the sanctuary offer a striking visual element that emphasizes the space’s scale and beauty. Adjacent to the sanctuary, a stunning 3-storey bell tower stands as a prominent and symbolic feature of the church, visible from the road.
This expansion not only addresses the growing needs of the Parish of St. Isidore but also provides a dynamic, functional space for worship, fellowship, and community events for generations to come.
Nestled in the heart of a Nepean neighborhood in Ottawa, this evangelical Christian church embodies the spirit of innovation and transformation as it serves its community. The 70,000 sq.ft. two-storey steel frame church building includes a 1,200-seat sanctuary, a gymnasium/hall, classrooms, childcare spaces, meeting rooms, and administrative offices.
Guests to the church are welcomed into the building through a generous two-storey foyer. Off the foyer lies the Sanctuary, designed with tiered-seating to accommodate 1200. The sanctuary provides a serene setting for worship, reflection and connection. Across from the sanctuary is a full-sized double gymnasium. This gym was designed to be a multi-purpose space to accommodate a variety of sporting events, gatherings and celebrations. The sanctuary and gym are surrounded by various supporting spaces such as administrative offices, well-appointed classrooms, a dedicated childcare facility and versatile meeting rooms designed to foster the community’s vibrant expansion and growth.
This project was not without its challenges, and gave opportunities for innovative problem-solving. The site provided adverse soil conditions. This led to the design of a highly efficient, lightweight steel super-structure. Light-weight long span steel trusses and innovative structural solutions were used to create the spacious and column-free gym and sanctuary, efficiently and cost-effectively. In addition, the building is located in the Noise Exposure Projection of the Ottawa International Airport. The structure was designed to integrate the noise and vibration control measures developed by the consultant team and vibration/acoustics specialists. This attention to acoustic control of the whole building ensures that the functionality of the spaces are never compromised by the external environment.
Development of this large facility involved a comprehensive design process that involved many volunteers and interest groups. Since the project was funded entirely by donations, efficient cost control was important to the community. With a large, dedicated staff and diverse array of programs, the building stands as a testament of what can be accomplished with innovative solutions and effective community involvement to meet the needs of the people the building serves.
Fellowship Church combines contemporary and traditional church design elements to create a new community meeting place that is simultaneously light and refreshing, but also intimate and introspective.
In 2010, the Fellowship Church community in Burlington, Ontario began the exciting journey of building a new home for their church family. With a site on the outskirts of the city, the community worked with VWA to envision a new church building that blends traditional ecclesiological elements, with a contemporary vision of what it means to be a church community. Large social gathering spaces, meeting rooms, child care facilities and a community kitchen wrap around the sanctuary at the heart of the building. A contemporary folded metal roof envelopes the various programs into a unified whole, while generous windows flood the interior spaces with natural light.
The community wanted their new church building to be accessible and easy to navigate for members and visitors alike. Guests are welcomed through a light-filled lobby, where they can proceed directly to the sanctuary through the large social hall. The social hall flows out into a generous porch which provides opportunities for more intimate gatherings, and creates a strong connection to the building's pastoral setting. Unlike traditional church sanctuaries, Fellowship requested the use of moveable chairs, rather than pews, so that the space can be rearranged and reconfigured to host a flexible variety of meetings and events. The ambulatory wing of the building leads to classrooms, meeting rooms, a childcare facility and a library.
Our team is committed to crafting innovative and functional designs that enhance your living, working, or community spaces. We understand that every project is unique, and we pledge to bring creativity, attention to detail, and a keen understanding of your needs to every aspect of our work.
