Events
Here you will find a directory of the events happening across the region, from lectures, exhibitions, tours, learning opportunities, networking events, committee meetings and everything else architecture and design.
Do you have an event to suggest? Contact us!
Urban Sketching Tour - Kìwekì Point
Join us for an evening of sketching at Kìwekì Point, a beautiful lookout overlooking the Kichi Zìbì (Ottawa River) and the National Capital Region. As part of this year’s Ottawa Architecture Week theme, “Currents of Bytown,” we’ll take time to explore how water, landscape, architecture, and history come together to shape our experience of the city.
Building Tour: Cliff Energy Centre
Join ORSA for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the newly completed Cliff Energy Centre, a landmark facility at the heart of the Government of Canada's Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP), presented as part of Ottawa Architecture Week's "Currents of Bytown."
Jane’s Walk: Hydrophobia 1826 - 1926: An illustrated History of Ottawa’s Aversion to Water(fronts)
Jane's Walk is offering walking tours as part of the 2026 edition of Ottawa Architecture Week (OAW).
Panel Discussion
Join us for an engaging evening during Ottawa Architecture Week, as we delve into the exciting world of urban design, architecture and city building at our panel discussion event titled "Currents of Bytown”. Our panelists and moderators will be discussing how water has shaped Ottawa – and how our relationship with it will shape the next 200 years.
Walking Tour - Kìwekì Point
Discover the design, Indigenous engagement, and site features of Kiweki Point on a guided walk.
Join ORSA for a guided walk with Jamie Brown through Kiweki Point and get a closer look at how the park came together. The tour begins with the design story: the ideas behind the park and how it was shaped as a public space. We'll talk about the role of Indigenous engagement in the project and how that collaboration informed the design and the way the site is experienced today.
As we move through the park, we'll stop at key site features and monuments, and look at how the park connects to its surrounding context. Along the way, we'll also touch on some of the technical details behind the design, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to bring the project to life.
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OAW Talks
OAW Talks is an event for creatives of all kinds to meet, present work, and share ideas. The atmosphere is spontaneous and casual, while the speakers follow a simple presentation format of narrating 20 images, which are automatically advanced every 20 seconds.
Building Tour: Ottawa Art Gallery
Led by KPMB Partner Mitchell Hall, this one-hour walking tour explores the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) Expansion and Arts Court Redevelopment as a case study in cultural placemaking, adaptive reuse, and urban intensification.
Carleton Forum Lecture
Drawing on more than three decades of practice, KPMB Partner Mitchell Hall will reflect on architecture’s ability to enrich everyday life and respond to the changing needs of people, institutions, and communities.
Vernissage
Join us for a celebratory evening of art, music, and community as we gather for the Vernissage of Ottawa Architecture Week 2026. The night begins with mingling, live music, and refreshments, followed by an overview of OAW, and the celebration of the Murray & Murray Prize winners from Carleton University.
Building Tour: Gatineau Energy Centre
ORSA has organized a building tour of the Gatineau Energy Centre and Pumphouse, October 09, 2026
Jane’s Walk: Unbuilt Ottawa 2
Jane's Walk is offering walking tours as part of the 2026 edition of Ottawa Architecture Week (OAW).
Jane’s Walk: How the Rideau Canal shaped a city
Jane's Walk is offering walking tours as part of the 2026 edition of Ottawa Architecture Week (OAW).
Ottawa Architecture Week 2024: Vacant City
Ottawa Architecture Week: Festival of Design and Imagination is an annual week-long festival that welcomes everyone to explore architecture, urbanism, art and design in Ottawa. It is presented by the Ottawa Regional Society of Architects (ORSA) with the help of local volunteers and businesses.
Ottawa Architecture Week
Ottawa Architecture Week (OAW) is an annual week-long festival that welcomes everyone to explore architecture, urbanism, art and design in Ottawa. It is presented by ORSA with the help of local volunteers and businesses. OAW typically takes place to coincide with World Architecture Day.
Building Equality in Architecture Capital Region (BEACAP)
BEACAP is a women-led network of architects, designers, and advocates in the National Capital Region, driving equity in the design industry locally and nationally. Through mentorship, advocacy, and community engagement, they empower women and underrepresented professionals to lead, connect, and thrive.
BEACAP represents our local chapter of a growing Building Equality in Architecture (BEA) Community across Canada. Other chapters include BEA Toronto (BEAT), BEA Atlantic (BEAA), BEA Prairies (BEAP), BEA North (BEAN), BEA Calgary (BEAC), and BEA West (BEAW).
Doors Open Ottawa
Doors Open Ottawa is an annual event organized by the City of Ottawa that gives the public access to many of the city's unique and historically significant buildings. Among the buildings included are government offices, museums, radio stations, places of worship, embassies, and historical landmarks.
