Richmond's Olympic Oval has won yet again another award adding to it's impressive array of medals of recognition. 

Infrastructure construction leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games around the lower mainland has been nothing short of inspirational. 

According to the Ovals official website:  "The latest honour came on January 6, 2010 from the 2009 Wood Design and Building Awards program, a North American-wide award that celebrates wood building innovation and achievement. The Richmond Oval was selected as an Honor Award recipient, the highest level of achievement possible."

The Olympic Oval is located on the banks of the Fraser River, 14 kilometres south of downtown Vancouver.  While Vancouver is the host city for the Winter Games, the venues for the various sports are spread from the City of Richmond to the south, and northwards up to and including the Resort Municipality of Whistler.   

Located in the northwest corner of Richmond, the Oval is across the river from the Vancouver International Airport and near Richmond city centre.  This award winning building has a capacity of 7,600 individuals.  It is nothing short of a construction marvel.  The list of awards speaks to the depth of innovation, creativity and construction expertise wrapped up in this one venue alone:

1.  Institution of Structural Engineers 2009 Structural Award for Sport or Leisure structures.

2.  Sustainability Star, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

3.  Innovation in Architecture Award of Excellence, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. 

4.  Green Building Practices Award, Globe Foundation and the World Green Building Council.

5.  Institution of Structural Engineers 2009 Commendation for Sustainable structures.

6.  Institutional Design Award, BC Wood Works!/Canadian Wood Council.

7.  2009 Steel Design Award of Excellence/Engineering, Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.

The Oval will carry on into the future as a community centre for the City of Richmond.  While Olympic feats of prowess are about to take centre stage during the 2010 Winter Games, it is the ongoing legacy to the community that will leave the deepest impression.  A generation of future Olympians now have a venue that can facilitate their dreams of gold.