News

Chmiel Architects focuses on sustainable design for a variety of commercial, industrial and residential projects. Our team offers a vast array of expertise to each undertaking. Among these are three certified LEED AP professionals, of which two also have the ID + C specialty. Administered by the Canada Green Building Council, LEED professional credentials validate the bearer’s knowledge of green building technologies, best practices, and dynamic LEED ratings.

On September 11, more than 100 people participated in the first annual Keltic Cup Charity Golf Classic, a Ryder Cup format tournament held at The Marshes in Kanata in support of programs at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation (ORCF).

In 2013, Chmiel Architects, in partnership with Advanced Business Interiors, hosted the first edition of the Keltic Cup Charity Golf Classic, an event which raised more than $25,000 for cancer coaching programs offered through the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s Maplesoft Centre. This year, we invite you to join us in supporting two exciting initiatives, each in support of cancer coaching, care and survivorship initiatives in Ottawa.

Ottawa’s new “IT” address, The Slater, has officially broken ground. Mayor Jim Watson, Councillor Diane Holmes, Alt Hotel’s Hugo Germain and Joe Broccolini joined Richard Chmiel for the official Ground Breaking Ceremony at the site of Ottawa’s first condo/hotel hybrid.

On September 25th, 100 golfers participated in the 2nd Annual Keltic Cup Charity Golf Classic at the Marshes Golf Club. More than $20,000 was raised in support of cancer coaching programs offered through the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation’s Maplesoft Centre.

What makes a building “green” is still sometimes subject for debate but the definition of sustainable building and sustainable or green architecture is unmistakable. The LEED® system in Canada, administered by CaGBC, is guided by a clear and stringent set of requirements for each level of LEED® certification. The requirements are put in place to provide structure and industrywide clarity and consistency, on a Global scale.

Recently, Elaine Yee attended an event hosted by Interface. The purpose of the event? To share information about their partnership with Net-Works – an organization who works with developing countries to harvest discarded fishing nets. The concept is win-win: it provides assistance in beach/ocean clean up but has also resurrected the economy of the coastal villages and former fishing communities in the Philippines whose main industry has become the reclamation of discarded fishing line (made of recyclable nylon).

“Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” -Julia ChildIn order to remain abreast of key trends, innovations and guiding principles for the North American Architecture industry in 2014, 2015 and beyond, the Chmiel Architects team actively participates in a number of industry lead events.

In her landmark book on urban planning, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”, visionary planner Jane Jacobs observed that: “Intricate minglings of different uses in cities are not a form of chaos. On the contrary, they represent a complex and highly developed form of order.”

When Ashcroft Homes first acquired former Ottawa Humane Society land at 101 Champagne Avenue South, the intention had been to construct condos on the edge of Little Italy. Plans changed in late 2012 and the focus has shifted to students.

The building at Bayview Trainyards, between Scott Street and the Ottawa River Parkway, was built in 1941 and will soon begin a dramatic makeover to become the much anticipated Ottawa Innovation Centre. The process of transformation began some time ago as a group of community leaders, including Mayor Jim Watson, identified the space and recognized its potential.

The Rideau Carleton Raceway, a fixture in Ottawa since 1962, was last renovated in 2000 and was in need of a complete update. Clientele are generally older, and the goal was to not only keep their existing customer base happy, but to attract a new and younger demographic. Chmiel Architects was commissioned to develop a fresh, new vision for the hospitality areas, which included the 650 seat dining room (offering a panoramic view of the 5/8 mile track) and a new banquet facility for a variety of events.