Victoria's Congregation Emanu-El Temple, the oldest surviving synagogue in Canada, has won Vancouver-based Donald Luxton and Associates a 2015 Conservation Projects Architecture Award of Merit from Canadian Architect magazine for the firm's 2013 restorative work on the 153-year-old place of worship.

Constructed in 1863, the synagogue is a one and one-half storey Romanesque structure situated at Pandora Avenue and Blanshard Street in downtown Victoria. In preparation for the building's sesquicentennial in 2013, the congregation set out approximately ten years ago to raise funds for substantial restorative work of the aging structure, which ultimately lead to the retainment of Donald Luxton and Associates to oversee the effort.

Company Principal Donald Luxton said the project's success came down to what he described as "a remarkable partnership" between his firm, the structural engineers, the contractor and the congregation.

"[We were] the heritage consultant on the project and started working with the congregation back in 2009 to not only plan the restorative work but to also be involved very closely on the fundraising effort. And quite honestly the entire team that included Read Jones Christoffersen as the structural engineer and Knappett Construction as the contractor, was a dream team and a remarkable partnership," Luxton said.

The architect also praised the congregation for the stewardship of the synagogue, calling the group's efforts over the decades an "astonishing accomplishment."

"The congregation is an amazing group of people and amazing stewards of the building. In fact being able to retain the building since it was built and keep it maintained over all of these years has been an astonishing accomplishment," said Luxton, adding that the team was able to pursue a high level of precision due to the client's dedication to the structure.

Throughout 2013 Luxton oversaw the replacement of the roof with a true-to-original slate roofing material together with extensive window work to overcome less-than-ideal building changes stemming back from the 1980's. The project budget was set at just below $1 million and made possible with contributions from all levels of government and fundraising organized by the congregation.

The congregation continues with its efforts to secure additional monies for further improvements through an on-going restoration process under the guidance of Luxton's firm. C

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