Under the theme of “The Music of Architecture – Architect as Conductor” the annual conference and awards presentation of the Ontario Association of Architects, taking place in Ottawa next month, invites architects from across the province to welcome new practitioners, engage with colleagues and award innovative work.

Kicking off the four-day affair is a keynote address by Boris Brott, a conductor and music director of three orchestras in Canada and the United States. Brott will speak about collaboration and the role of the architect as conductor. From there, participants can take in sessions ranging from building codes and contract law to carbon neutral plans for buildings and neighbourhoods and urban growth centres in the greater golden horseshoe. And, to tie in more literally with the theme, there is a seminar that discusses acoustics, noise and vibration issues in building design.

Beyond these educational sessions, participants can also check out the OAA Awards presentation on the evening of May 11, hosted by CBC’s Evan Solomon at Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization. Awards range from concept to lifetime achievement. And conference-goers can also sign up to tour a number of high-profile local projects, including the The Delegation of Ismaili Imamat, by Maki and Associates and Moriyama & Teshima; and the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence by Diamond and Schmitt Architects and Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates Architects.

The OAA conference takes place May 9 to 12 at the Westin Ottawa. Be sure to pick up a copy of AZURE’s May issue, available at registration.