Establishing a tradition of, well, breaking with tradition, the grassroots One of One awards returned for 2026 even bigger than the inaugural event last year.
“We were blown away by the entries,” says Kate Dubois, who launched the awards in 2025 with business partner Xenia Rose. “The fact that we get to see so many projects from the local designers we admire while also discovering new local designers through the award submission process is something really special about One of One.”
Dubois and Rose, of Studio Alter, founded the initiative Uncommon Ottawa in 2024 to create community for and celebrate the unique and unexpected creativity of everyone connected to the design industry, from those just starting their careers to experienced veterans. From that grew last year’s One of One awards, which, along with traditional categories, likes to have some fun and rewards originality, personality, creativity and a willingness to be bold.
“One of the things that stands out among the entries is the increase in the creativity of the submissions year over year,” says Rose. “I think our dream is to be surprised every single year with new and exciting projects — the type of projects we’re proud to see in our city and the ones that will continue to push Ottawa’s reputation for (being) design forward.”
‘An interesting mix’
Categories ranged from the expected like best bathroom or kitchen to fun ones such as cutest pet in a photo. Judges included designers Candice Wei (Wei Sanchez Design Studio) and Nathan Kyle (Nathan Kyle Studio), architects Rheal Labelle (Hobin Architecture), Rick Shean (Shean Architects) and Dina Sarhane (DS Studio), and photographer Jordann Brown (Jordann Brown Imaging).
“(It’s) an interesting mix of young, emerging, independent designers going toe to toe with some seasoned peers,” says Kyle. “The awards had quirky criteria and fun names, which seemed to take the edge off the competitive nature.
“Apart from the awards, the event is creating a design hub culture in a city that is developing its own flare. I like that it gets independent designers enthusiastic about design, with the hope that with every competition it encourages the best work put forth.”
Brown echoes his sentiment.
“One thing I really appreciate about this event is how inclusive the categories feel,” she says. “It’s not just focused on the big, polished projects. There’s space for things like student work, millwork details and even ‘the one that got away.’ It brings attention to parts of the industry that don’t always get recognized. And, of course, ‘cutest pet in a photo’ might have been the toughest category of all.”
Both noticed an emphasis on colour, which is not surprising given that the organizers encourage bold designs.
“Most entries seemed to engage with colour, and in some cases lots of it,” says Kyle. “The teams that used it best were the most successful.”
What resonated
Wei concurs, noting that what resonated most with her were projects “that took risks, bold applications of colour, unconventional detailing, and moments where the design pushed beyond what is typically expected. It wasn’t about what simply looked ‘pretty,’ but about work that had conviction, projects that challenged norms and demonstrated a strong, deliberate identity.”
Award winners were announced earlier this year at the restaurant Parlour, with almost 200 in attendance. From the 80 entries (there were 60 last year), awards were given in 19 categories.
“This year’s event was definitely bigger in submissions and attendees,” says Rose. “And while the award categories largely stayed the same, there were a couple swaps that remained aligned with our vision of not just celebrating the traditional categories. We love highlighting projects in Ottawa that go bold with colour, push boundaries and are a little unexpected — the kind of projects that warrant their own unique categories.”
Beyond the awards themselves, Labelle noted that “events like this provide an important venue for artists, designers and design enthusiasts to come together to connect, exchange ideas and build relationships. That kind of dialogue and cross-pollination is essential to strengthening the design community and, ultimately, contributing to a more thoughtful and well-designed city.”
Here’s a look at the 2026 One of One award winners
