The University of Toronto Student Leadership Awards recognize graduating students whose exemplary leadership contributions have significantly impacted the university and the U of T experience of their peers.

"Recipients exemplify service, integrity and a commitment to enhancing the student experience here at Daniels and across the campus," says Robert Levit, acting dean of the Daniels Faculty. "Their efforts help build a stronger and more connected community. I congratulate the recipients and thank all student leaders for their invaluable contributions to student life."

Congratulations to the 2026 awardees:

Ambareen Fatima
Hon. BAAS with a minor in Urban Studies and a Certificate in Sustainability of the Built Environment

As co-president of the Future Living Lab (FLL) and in her roles as VP External and VP Equity with the Architecture and Visual Studies Students Union (AVSSU), Ambareen founded the Undergraduate Firm Fair, one of the faculty’s largest student-led professional initiatives. Along with the FLL Podcast, Ambareen led tri-campus initiatives to bridge gaps between Daniels and other faculties. She also led research labs, architecture competitions, panels and large-scale events to connect students with industry, research and community. Her work centres on advocacy, equity and building inclusive spaces that empower students to grow and thrive.

Mahroo Mansouri
Hon. BAAS (Design Specialist stream)

Mahroo served as Vice President of Communications for AVSSU, where she managed communications with students and external partners and led initiatives including the Women in Art and Design panel and the Humans of Daniels campaign to foster community and representation. She is also the co-president of the Women’s Student Association at U of T and has been actively involved in multiple Daniels clubs and mentorship programs.

Jacob Muller
Hon. BAAS (Design Specialist stream) with a minor in Jewish Studies and a Certificate in Sustainability of the Built Environment

AVSSU is the elected student government representing and advocating for the Daniels undergraduate student body. Jacob is recognized for his leadership within AVSSU over four years, culminating in his role as president in 2025/26. Jacob is further recognized for his leading contributions as a founding member of Scaffold* Journal, an annual, peer-reviewed design journal, and serving as its managing director in 2025/26.

Emily Sun
Hon. BAAS (Technology Specialist stream)

Emily is an active U of T leader and volunteer, leading initiatives with Applied Architecture Landscape and Design (AALD), a student group promoting a distinctly hands‐on approach to architecture, landscape, and design for both undergraduate and graduate students through tutorials and workshops. The collective supports Daniels students by building practical skills and fostering mentorship and connections with Toronto’s broader design community. Emily served as AALD vice president and most recently as president.

Julien Todd 
Hon. BAAS (Technology Specialist stream)

Julien is a co-founder of the Indigenous Student Coalition at Daniels, Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA) student chapter and a mentor with Building Black Success through Design (BBSD), a Daniels outreach program for Black youth. A member of the from the Métis Nation of Alberta, Julien is a Bear Clan Leader for the Indigenous Students Association at U of T, committed to the spiritual, physical, emotional and mental well-being of the Indigenous student body and community members.

The University of Toronto “Troitsky Team,” a group of undergraduate students from U of T's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and the Faculty of Arts & Science, set a new competition record for ultimate load at the 2026 Troitsky Bridge Building Competition, en route to earning a second-place finish overall. With an impressive ultimate load of nearly 4,900 kg, eclipsing the previous all-time record of 3,700 kg, the team narrowly missed first place by a single point.

Held annually at Concordia University in Montreal since 1984, this year’s competition attracted 31 teams from 10 Canadian universities, with more than 220 student competitors competing over the February 27–March 1 weekend.

The seven-member team reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the competition, bringing together students from across disciplines at U of T. 

Explaining the contest’s broad appeal to students outside of engineering, fourth-year BAAS student Vicky Tan says:

“I actually got involved a couple years ago, starting in second year. A friend a year above me was involved in the club, then I started participating. And now, in my fourth year, I’m a design executive with the club. I think it’s a great competition to practice both hands-on building and design skills.”

Fourth-year BAAS student Hayden Wong is also a member of this year's record-setting team.

The club is already recruiting for next year and is open to students from all programs and faculties.

Read the full story by  Phill Snel on the CivMin department website

Supplied photo of U of T Troitsky Team bridge

Organized in collaboration with the Foolhardy’s Red House Restoration Project and the Town of Perth, the Tay Basin Landscape Ideas Competition invited creative proposals for the redevelopment of the Tay Basin site as a flexible and welcoming public square. Open to all Daniels students, the competition was also integrated into LAN3200: Landscape Architecture Competitions, a graduate seminar in the Master of Landscape Architecture program, taught by Professor Alissa North.

On Friday, March 27 the competition jury shared their thoughts on the student work, highlighting what they found most compelling in the submissions. Selected projects will move on to a public exhibition in Perth later this spring:

First Place           

TAY ISLAND SQUARE (#012)
By third-year master of landscape architecture (MLA) students Claire Leverton and Benjamin Dunn (pictured above)

Second Place     

AVENUE OF THE ARCHIVES (#007)
Second-year MLA student Katherine Gorelik (pictured above)

Third Place            

WATER AS COMMON GROUND (#003)
Third-year master of architecture (MArch) students Zhongzhu Li and Yunle Chen (pictured above)

Honourable mentions

PERTHITE PLAZA (#010)
Third-year MLA students Jaeyong Ahn and Suet Wing Lo

TAY BASIN LANDSCAPE DESIGN (#006)
Third-year bachelor of arts, architectural studies (BAAS) undergraduate Valeriia Puchnina

Submissions pictured above 

The competition thanks the jury members: 

— Robert Allsopp, Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) and Partner Emeritus DTAH

— Alex Bozikovic, Architecture Critic, The Globe and Mail, Lecturer and Visiting Critic at the Daniels Faculty

— Victoria Gibb-Carsley, Executive Director, Perth and District Community Foundation 

— Noah Greer, Manager of Construction and Development Support, Town of Perth

— David Leinster, Principal, Landscape Architecture, The Planning Partnership  

— Cathy McNally, Director of Community Services, Town of Perth

— Adam Smith (Jury Chair and Competition Co-Coordinator), Architect, RAW Designs Inc.

— Gary Waterfield, Perth Councillor

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Anne-Marie Armstrong has received a Black Research Network (BRN) IGNITE Grant 5.0.

The BRN at the University of Toronto offers $5,000 to $15,000 in support of interdisciplinary research and professional development for Black faculty, librarians, postdoctoral scholars, clinical scientists, and medical research fellows and residents at the university.

Since its 2022 launch, $246,750 has been awarded through the BRN IGNITE grant program to 32 researchers across U of T.

Armstrong's project, At the Margins: Architecture, Infrastructure, and Everyday Experience, asks what it means to study architecture not designed for people but that nonetheless shapes the human experience.

Drawing on an ongoing research project, the work examines architectural forms not intended for direct human habitation—such as telecommunication towers, substations, and water systems—to expand understanding of memory, marginality, and cultural identity in urban environments.

Armstrong is a founding member of the Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA).

Story by Tina Adamopoulos republished in part from the BRN website

A comprehensive studio project by third-year MArch students Leah Button and Jordan Subaran is one of 104 projects from around the world longlisted for the ArchDaily Student Project Awards. It is the only longlisted project representing U of T and one of four projects recognized from Canadian universities.

The awards recognize the creativity and vision of students who are redefining architectural practice and discourse. The awards are open to all ArchDaily Campus subscribers and aims to share creative, inclusive and forward-thinking ideas shaping tomorrow's built environment. 

The theme of the student project awards, The Architecture of Coexistence, approaches care from a collective perspective, focusing on the spaces that nurture better ways of living together: the architecture of coexistence.

Their project, Soft Borders, Collective Living, for the Winter 2025 comprehensive studio, was completed under the advisement of Professor Brigitte Shim. 

Project Typology: Mixed Use Architecture

Abstract: In a city increasingly defined by isolated high-rise living, this project challenges the antisocial nature of Toronto’s dominant residential typologies. Rather than treating housing as a collection of private, isolated units, this project aims to create dynamic, multi-scale common spaces that foster connection and offer a better alternative for living together.

Located on the site of West Neighbourhood House, a long-standing community hub providing social services, programming, and support for individuals and families, the project expands the centre’s role by integrating affordable housing for over 240 residents while maintaining and strengthening its existing services.

By retaining and reintroducing the existing courtyard as the heart of the West Neighbourhood House, residential and community spaces are organized around a central, communal core. This emphasis on public space extends throughout the design, with single-loaded external corridors functioning as porches and sidewalks in the sky, transforming circulation into social space and encouraging diverse residents and visitors to cross paths. A rational, flexible grid supports a wide range of household types, including multi-generational families, first-time buyers, students, business professionals, and those previously unhoused. Together, these diverse residents shape an inclusive, equitable housing model that fosters belonging, care, and coexistence within Toronto’s urban fabric.

Visit their project at ArchDaily

Project images below courtesy of Button and Subaran

The Dino Dutra Memorial Award will alleviate financial pressure for an architectural studies undergraduate at the University of Toronto
 

by Nina Haikara

A newly established bursary at the John. H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design honours the memory of architect and alumnus Dino Dutra (1963-2024).

The Dino Dutra Memorial Award will be awarded on the basis of financial need with preference given to students enrolled in the architectural studies program at the Daniels Faculty. 

Established through a generous commitment from Dutra’s family and spouse, Isabel Dutra, the funds will be matched 1:1 in perpetuity by the Boundless Promise Program directed toward needs-based awards, thereby doubling the gift’s impact. Part of the Boundless Campaign’s legacy, the program continues as part of the Defy Gravity Campaign, the largest fundraising and alumni engagement effort in Canadian history. 

“Dino’s life was shaped by the belief that education can change the course of a person’s future. He understood firsthand how financial challenges can stand in the way of opportunity, and he was deeply committed to helping others overcome those barriers,” says Mrs. Dutra. “By supporting a student in financial need, this award reflects his compassion, his generous spirit, his belief in fairness, and his enduring faith in the potential of those who are willing to work hard and persevere.” 

Dutra graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1987. He began working in Toronto at a small firm, which he would later come to own, founding Dutra Architect Inc. in 2003. The firm was renamed DUTRA ARCHITECT last year in his memory. 

At his practice, Dutra led notable heritage renovations of the WolfeCorp’s Publishing House at 495–517 Wellington Street West and the Steele-Briggs Building at 49 Spadina Avenue. Throughout his career, he made a lasting impact across custom residential design, post‑secondary institutions, law enforcement buildings, veterinary and healthcare spaces, food service, retail and corporate environments. Over 25 years, he completed more than 200 nation-wide projects for Scotiabank, ranging from small ABM updates to major interior remodels.

Beyond his work, Dutra was known for his generosity, often volunteering his time and taking on additional pro bono projects. When asked how he wished to be remembered, he said: “I want to be remembered as someone who had a giving spirit." 

“By easing financial barriers, recipients can fully engage in the study of architecture, explore ideas with confidence, and develop their own design voice,” says Mrs. Dutra. “My hope is that they will carry forward a sense of responsibility to use architecture as a means of improving the built environment and strengthening inclusive communities.” 

Dutra’s passing sadly precedes that of his 1987 classmate, Paul Stevens. Classmates, colleagues and friends can honour both Dutra and Stevens by making a pledge to either or both bursaries established in their names.

"Dino was typical of the extraordinary class of 1987 architecture graduates. He remained a binding member of a closely knit group who, alongside him, have gone on to contribute in important and diverse ways to architecture in Toronto and abroad,” says Robert Levit, acting dean of the Daniels Faculty. “Dino’s commitment to architecture—and to those with whom he began his journey—will now be extended to future generations of architects by giving them the support they need to forge new paths." 

"I, the members of the Daniels Faculty community, and the future students who will benefit from the Dino Dutra Memorial Award are very grateful to Dino’s family and spouse for their generous gift in his name."

To learn more about this giving opportunity, please contact Alumni & Development Officer, Stacey Charles, stacey.charles@daniels.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-4340.

by Nina Haikara

The Paul Stevens Boundless Promise Award will support Indigenous or and Black architectural studies or visual studies undergraduates at the University of Toronto

Canadian visionary architect and University of Toronto alumnus Paul Stevens (1963-2025) will be remembered through a newly created bursary supporting students at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

First announced at his celebration of life at U of T’s Hart House on November 21, 2025, the Paul Stevens Boundless Promise Award will be awarded on the basis of financial need with priority and preference given to Indigenous or Black students enrolled in the architectural studies or visual studies program at the Daniels Faculty.  

Made possible by the generosity of his spouse, Tanya Phillipps-Stevens, the annual award funds will be matched 1:1 in perpetuity through the Defy Gravity Campaign’s Boundless Promise Program. The program, a legacy of the Boundless Campaign, doubles the impact of donations made towards needs-based awards. 

Phillipps-Stevens says the bursary honours her husband’s impact on architecture—his life’s passion—and carries forward his wish to provide equitable opportunities for future designers to create a better, more beautiful world.  

“My husband's greatest attributes are his generosity of spirit and his authentic connection with people. Paul always gave his time, his boundless talents, and his treasure across many areas of his life,” says Phillipps-Stevens. “This award is a continuation of his longstanding commitment to inclusion and interconnectedness, mentoring and supporting the next generation.”

Inspired by his artistic mother and his father who worked as an engineer, Stevens knew by age eight he wanted to become an architect. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1987 and became a co-founder and co-owner of Toronto-based ZAS Architects + Interiors in 1994, where he served as senior principal. 

Over his distinguished career, Stevens shaped designed some of Canada’s most celebrated civic and institutional spaces including the Billy Bishop Airport Tunnel, Canoe Landing Community Campus + Schools, River City Condominiums, Vaughan Civic Centre Library and York University’s Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence and a symbolic final project—the Sam Ibrahim Building at U of T’s Scarborough campus—which hosted its grand opening in April 2025. Beyond his work in Canada, his practice encompassed projects from Dubai to Shanghai.

Paul Stevens at the April 2025 opening of the Sam Ibrahim Building, University of Toronto Scarborough campus. Design by ZAS Architects and CEBRA Architecture with construction by Ellis Don (supplied photo).

A dedicated mentor to emerging talent, Stevens and his practice participated in the Daniels Faculty’s undergraduate Design Research Internship Program (DRIP).

“He was deeply inspired by the young creatives at Daniels and would always invite students and intern architects to work alongside him at his office, serving as a partnering practitioner with DRIP,” says Phillipps-Stevens.

She adds her husband’s transformational leadership style is rooted in a vision of human-centred and sustainable design excellence, exemplary collaborations and industry-leading community engagement. 

“By creating this award for Indigenous and Black students, we honour Paul’s legacy and core values of excellence, innovation, sustainability and equity,” she says. “My hope is to expand the industry by providing greater access for underrepresented aspiring creators to learn how to be the change they wish to see. This fund unlocks boundless opportunities for diverse recipients to become changemakers, like Paul, who harness their talents to make an inclusive blueprint for solving current and future societal challenges.” 

Stevens’s passing sadly follows that of his 1987 classmate, Dino Dutra. Classmates, colleagues and friends can honour both Stevens and Dutra by making a pledge to either or both bursaries established in their names.

"His sympathy for people and his passion for the material of building made Paul a remarkable architect," says Robert Levit, acting dean of the Daniels Faculty. "While I had known Paul in many professional contexts, it was shortly before his untimely passing that I met with him to discuss his interest in philanthropic support for Daniels students. He explained to me how his childhood in northern Ontario had shaped in him a strong sense of community with the diverse population of his childhood world, and also for the materials—wood, abundant in northern Ontario—that would inspire him to become an architect."

"His family's gift to the Faculty to support Indigenous and Black students reflects his commitment to enlarging the scope of who shapes our built world and, by doing so, broadens how we can imagine the architecture that makes our communities. Paul’s gift will have a lasting impact on who will make up future generations of architects."

To learn more about this giving opportunity, please contact Alumni & Development Officer, Stacey Charles, stacey.charles@daniels.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-4340.

Ameena Kane, a bachelor of architectural studies student at the Daniels faculty, has been awarded the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Building Black Futures in Architecture Scholarship.

The scholarship recognizes two outstanding high school students who demonstrate academic excellence, a passion for architecture and clear commitment to pursue further study in architecture or planning. The scholarship is valued at $48k ($12k annually, over four years). 

The TDSB Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement hosted its recipient awards reception at Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects where Kane was presented the award. Kane, a graduate of Richview Collegiate Institute, remarked it was always her dream to study architecture. 

The scholarship was made possible through the generosity of multiple donors and the ABC Residents Association, led by the association’s co-president and director, John Caliendo, who has worked on nearly 50 development projects. 

The Building Black Futures in Architecture Scholarship is open annually to Grade 12 students in TDSB secondary schools. 

Read the TDSB announcement

Fri, Mar 27 2026, 10 - 11:30am
Daniels Building, 1 Spadina Crescent |  2nd Floor, KPMB Seminar Room 230

Organized in collaboration with the Foolhardy’s Red House Restoration Project and the Town of Perth, the Tay Basin Landscape Ideas Competition invited creative proposals for the redevelopment of the Tay Basin site as a flexible and welcoming public square. 

Located along the Tay River in its historic downtown core, the approximately one-hectare site currently functions as a mixed landscape of open lawn, trees, and parking near key landmarks including Perth's Crystal Palace and the proposed restored 1816 Red House. 

The competition challenges all undergraduate and graduate students to envision how the area could better support community events, markets, public gathering and everyday use while integrating sustainable landscape strategies and universal accessibility. The competition was also integrated into LAN3200: Landscape Architecture Competitions, a graduate seminar in the Master of Landscape Architecture program. 

The Daniels LAN300 seminar is taught by Professor Alissa North, a landscape architect, founding partner of North Design Office, and scholar whose research examines contemporary landscape architecture practices, public space design, and the role of competitions in shaping the discipline. Through the course, students analyze influential landscape architecture competitions and apply this knowledge by developing their own proposals for the Tay Basin site.

At the vernissage, the jury will share their thoughts on the student work and highlight what they found most compelling in the submissions. Winners and honourable mentions will be announced at 11:30 a.m. Selected projects will move on to a public exhibition in Perth later this spring.

The jury members are: 

• Robert Allsopp
• Alex Bozikovic 
• Victoria Gibb-Carsley
• Noah Greer  
• David Leinster 
• Cathy McNally 
• Adam Smith (Jury Chair and Competition Co-Coordinator) 
• Gary Waterfield 

Tay Basin site images above courtesy of Alissa North

The Invasive Species Centre (ISC) has recognized members of the Institute of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

A not‑for‑profit, ISC prevents the spread of invasive species in Canada and beyond, helping safeguard the economy, society and Canada’s biodiversity.

Professor Sandy M. Smith, an internationally recognized expert in the ecology and biological management of invasive forest insects for urban forest restoration and conservation, received the Career Achievement Award. Smith leads innovative biological control research with 160+ publications, mentoring countless forestry professionals, including more than 65 doctoral students.

Adjunct Professor Dr. Rob Bourchier, a retired research scientist of insect ecology and biological control with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was also the recipient of the Career Achievement Award. Serving in a national scientific leadership role, Bourchier’s innovative biological control research has had a lasting impact in agricultural and range management

Joel Goodwin (PhD 2026), a researcher with Natural Resources Canada, was recognized with the Young Professional Award. His applied research has improved invasive insect monitoring, including creative trap designs and detection methods that are now informing real-world management and eradication efforts. Joel completed his doctoral work under the supervision of Smith and Adjunct Professor Dr. Jeremy Allison, with the Canadian Forest Service. 

“The achievements of Sandy, Rob, and Joel represent the very best of Canada’s forest research community,” said Associate Professor John Caspersen, director of forestry programs at the Daniels faculty. “Their scientific contributions are strengthening Canada’s ability to respond to invasive species. We are proud to celebrate their well‑earned recognition by the ISC.”

The awardees were recognized at an awards presentation held during the annual Invasive Species Forum.