In anticipation of the new school year, we asked current and former students what they thought every Daniels Faculty student should know. From the practical (don’t leave printing to the last minute!) to the thrifty (free massages!), this may be the most comprehensive list of tips and tricks that every student should be aware of during their time at our Faculty. So, scroll through the list and if you want to add something, post it in the Comments section on Facebook!

 

1. Wearing only black doesn’t make you an architect or artist. (Ok, maybe just a little bit.)

Image: http://www.aiany.org/eOCULUS/2005/2005-04-26.html

 

2. Volunteer at Café 059! Located near the Huron street entrance at 230 College Street, the café is a great place to meet faculty, staff and other students in an informal setting. Undergrads and grads from all programs at the Daniels Faculty are welcome to volunteer (if you want to make quick friends, sign up for the morning shift!). Just send an email to café managers Keltie and Max at cafe059@galdsu.ca

 

3. Kensington Market is just down the street from the Daniels Faculty. Here you can find great restaurants, shops, patios and fruit and vegetable markets. Recommended lunch spots: The Grilled Cheese, Seven Lives Tacos and The Burgernator, where students get 10% off combos.

 

4. U of T recognizes that for many, their gender expression and gender identity is more complex than simply “male” or “female”. The Daniels Faculty is committed to creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere which includes gender inclusive washrooms on the 3^rd and 4^th floors of 230 College.

 

5. The Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union (GALDSU) hosts monthly TGIF Parties in the student lounge for graduate students. Keep an eye out for posters around 230 College as well as announcements in the This Week @ Daniels emails for dates and times.

 

6. Feeling stressed? Get a free massage on Mondays at Hart House.

 

7. Visual Studies Student Projects (VSSP) facilitates student-run exhibitions throughout the year and organizes gallery hops around the city. The first one takes place September 20.

 

8. Food Truck Fridays (featuring vendors like Caplansky’s, Smoke’s Poutinerie and Beaver Tails) takes place on Willcocks street between St. George and Huron on select Fridays throughout the year.

Image: http://www.foodlovehappiness.com/2012/03/food-truck-eats-at-university-of.html

 

9. Hey graduate students, don’t ever leave operating laser cutters unattended in the Digital Fabrication lab or Nick (Head of the “Fab Lab”) will turn them off and be very angry.

 

10. Want to read about cool things faculty members, alumni and students are up to? Check out the News section on our website.

Image: Fred Stein: Children Reading Newspaper, Paris, 1936 (http://likeyou.com/en/node/32293)

 

11. Don't forget to lock your laptop and computer monitor in common areas!

 

12. Go see art in real life – we have two galleries at 230 College: Eric Arthur Gallery and Larry Wayne Richards Gallery (upcoming exhibitions will be posted to our Exhibitions webpage). There are also many galleries around U of T, including the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery and the U of T Art Centre (UTAC). The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library hosts exhibitions as well.

Students can go to the Royal Ontario Museum for free every Tuesday, and the Art Gallery of Ontario offers free entry to their permanent collection from 6 – 8:30 PM on Wednesdays.

To see a full listing of art galleries in Toronto check out blog.to.

Image: Eric Arthur Gallery, 230 College

 

13. You may need a lot of coffee to get through the day, but don’t forget to return your mugs to Café 059!

 

14. Get physical! Intramurals are a great way to make friends and stay active. Sign up sheets for various sports will be posted at 230 College. Kelsey Nilsen (kelsey.nilsen@mail.utoronto.ca) is the Daniels Faculty Intramurals rep. Check out the U of T intramurals website to see all of the sports that are offered.

Image: The Daniels Faculty hockey team has won two consecutive Div. II Intramural championships

 

15. Don’t leave plotting (not the evil scheming kind, but the large format printing kind) to the last minute! If you do need to print in a hurry, the best times are between 6 AM – 8 AM. For more info, check out the Print, Plot, and Scan and the About Your Print Account  webpages. (Remember to keep a positive balance in your printing account or you won’t be able to print!)

 

16. On Tuesdays, you can buy pizza and sandwiches from Café 059 (every other day they offer cookies, muffins, coffee, tea and other treats).

 

17. Keep a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a spare shirt in your desk for unexpected all-nighters.

 

18. Reviews: Bring pins, always have spare glue on you, and take notes DURING your review. And remember: how you present is just as important as what you are presenting.

 

19. Listen to Johnny, graduate students! Our Facilities Officer and head of the workshop says: Safety first! When you are in the workshop: tie your hair back, wear short sleeves, and don’t wear loose clothing.

 

20. To learn about competitions, calls for submissions and job or volunteer opportunities, check out the Notices section on our website!

 

21. MArch students: Don’t forget your rolling ruler for Structures 1 class.

Image: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_ruler#/

 

22. THIS:

 

23. Attend upper year studio pin ups. You can learn a lot from looking at other projects and hearing their critiques.

 

24. There is a live video feed of the green roof at 230 College Street. The Green Roof Innovation Testing Laboratory (GRIT Lab) is a research lab for investigating the environmental performance of green roofs, walls and other “green” technologies.

 

25. Connect with us online! The Daniels Faculty is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Youtube!

Image: Made by Freepik.com

 

26. Visual Studies students: if a bird flies inside the painting or drawing studio, turn off all of the lights and open all the windows!

Image: http://shareourgarden.blogspot.ca/2012_03_04_archive.html

 

27. Keep an eye out for The Annual. This yearly student publication showcases work by Daniels Faculty graduate students from all four programs: architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and visual studies. Visit galdsu.ca for more info and watch for announcements about the latest issue on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: The Annual 2013: Accumulation

 

28. One of the best places to read at 230 College is in the Shore + Moffat library by the south-facing windows.

 

29. The recently renovated Graduate Student Lounge is the social hub for all Daniels Faculty graduate students. Located behind Café 059 and open 24/7, the lounge is the perfect space to unwind with your peers over an informal game of pool, gather round the large communal table for a meal with your studio group or break a sweat in an intense table tennis tournament with your friends. GALDSU oversees the lounge and is always looking for interesting ways to use the space. Students are encouraged to email galdsu@daniels.utoronto.ca with any proposals. 

 

30. Mmmm… the Hart House has $5 lunches on select Wednesdays. For more food options, check out the U of T food map as well as the UeaT website.

 

31. Acclaimed architects, designers, artists, landscape architects, historians and more speak at the Daniels Faculty throughout the year. Every Monday morning, we send out a This Week @ Daniels email to students letting them know about all the great events happening that week. You can also stay up to date on all of our events and exhibitions by checking out our Events webpage.

 

32. Need to return a book afterhours to the Shore + Moffat library at 230 College? Use your fob to get into the building and return your books in the 24 hour return slot located on the wall facing the library entrance at the top of the stairs.

 

33. The launch party for Shift, the undergraduate publication about art and architecture created by Daniels Faculty students, will take place during Frosh week on Thursday, September 4 at 7 pm at 230 College. Come by to pick up your free copy and to enjoy some music, snacks and drinks.

 

34. Harvest Noon is where a lot of Visual Studies students meet for informal discussions while enjoying some great vegan food. It is located on the 2^nd floor of the Graduate Student Union building (16 Bancroft Avenue) next door to the Visual Studies building (North Borden Building, 563 Spadina Avenue). The café is only open from 10 am to 2 pm, but don’t worry - you can continue your intense discussion about art and architecture late into the night downstairs at the GSU Pub.

 

35. Remember to have your fob on you at all times if you want access to the studios and building.

 

36. And finally… Get off of your computer/phone and get involved! Join clubs, support our Varsity Blues sports teams, make new friends and enjoy this experience to the fullest while you are here!

Image: Architecture and Visual Studies formal, photo by Ben McCanny.

 

Thank you to the following students for compiling this list:

Alexandra Berceanu, HBA in Architectural Studies 2014
Kayla Csaszar, MArch 2015
Ivana Dizdar, HBA in Visual Studies 2015
Dave Freedman, MArch 2013
Sally Kassar, MArch 2017
Ridhima Khurana, MArch 2015
Elizabeth Krasner, MArch 2015
Joel Leon, MArch 2015 (Current President of GALDSU)
Alvin Luong, HBA in Visual  Studies 2016
Keltie Mclaren, MArch 2015
Matt Perotto, MLA 2015
Hirokazu Tei, HBA
Jason van der Burg, MArch 2014
Dan Voshart, MArch 2015