The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto is excited to present its Winter 2023 Public Program.  

Through a series of exhibitions, lectures, book talks, panel discussions and symposia, we aim to foster dialogue and knowledge exchange among our local and international communities on important social, political and environmental challenges confronting our disciplines and the world today.  

Our Public Program this semester addresses a range of pertinent issues concerning the natural and built environments, including design and social justice, urbanization and housing, art and media, and ecology and landscape resilience. 

All events are free and open to the public. All lectures will be held in the Main Hall of the Daniels Building unless otherwise stated. Register in advance and check the calendar for up-to-date details at daniels.utoronto.ca/events.  

January 26, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Housing Multitudes Lecture: Freedom Schools for Accountable Architecture 
Featuring Jae Shin and Damon Rich (HECTOR) 
Moderated by Richard Sommer (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 
 
February 1, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Designing Black Spaces with Community Accountability  
Featuring Tura Cousins Wilson (Studio of Contemporary Architecture), Jessica Kirk (Wildseed Centre for Art and Activism) and Jessica Hines (Black Urbanism Toronto) 
Moderated by Anne-Marie Armstrong (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 
 
February 7, 12:30 p.m. ET  
Understanding and Predicting the Changing Environment in the Coming Decades 
Featuring Brian Leung (Department of Biology, McGill University)  
Moderated by Patrick James (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

February 9, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Book Launch—Innate Terrain: Canadian Landscape Architecture  
By Alissa North (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

February 14, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Exhibition Opening—Recent Work by Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA)  
Curated by Marina Tabassum, 2022-2023 Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

February 16, 6:30 p.m. ET 
George Baird Lecture: Becoming Frank Gehry  
Featuring Jean-Louis Cohen (The Institute of Fine Arts, New York University) 
Moderated by Jason Nguyen (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)  

March 2, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Michael Hough/OALA Visiting Critic in Landscape Architecture Lecture: What Would Cornelia Do? 
Featuring Julie Bargmann (School of Architecture, University of Virginia) 
Moderated by Elise Shelley (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

March 7, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Phyllis Lambert: Observation Is a Constant That Underlies All Approaches 
Featuring Phyllis Lambert (Canadian Centre for Architecture) 
Moderated by Juan Du (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

March 14, 12:30 p.m. ET 
Civic Urbanism Without Borders 
Featuring Jeffery Hou (College of Built Environments, University of Washington)  
In collaboration with the Global Taiwan Studies Initiative at the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto 

March 16, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Exhibition Opening—Resolutions for the Antarctic: International Stations & the Antarctic Data Space
Curated by UNLESS and featuring works by International Collaborators  

March 30, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Ruinophilia 
Featuring Lyndon Neri (Neri&Hu Design and Research Office) 
Moderated by Juan Du (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 

Located in the heart of Canada’s biggest city, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto offers graduate programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, forestry and visual studies, as well as unique undergraduate programs that use architectural studies and visual studies as a lens through which students may pursue a broad, liberal arts-based education. Take a virtual look at everything we have to offer.
 

A tree planting and additions to Forestry’s commemorative Woodwall were on the program when the Daniels Faculty community gathered at the Earth Sciences Centre on November 24 to celebrate past and present forestry achievements. 

The ironwood tree (Ostrya virginiana) was planted in the Carolinian Forest Courtyard in honour of former professor Erik Jorgensen, who founded the University of Toronto’s Shade Tree Research Laboratory in the 1960s and is considered the father of urban forestry, a previously unexplored branch of forestry studies that he largely defined and promoted. 

Born in Denmark in 1921, Jorgensen and his colleagues at the Shade Tree Lab were especially instrumental in the study and control of Dutch Elm Disease (DED). Jorgensen passed away in 2012. 

Others honourees on the 24th included a dozen new additions to Forestry’s commemorative Woodwall, located inside the Earth Sciences Centre. Initiated in 2007, when Forestry at U of T celebrated its 100th birthday, the Woodwall recognizes illustrious alumni, faculty and staff on an artfully hung array of individual square wood plaques. 

The installation of the 12 new plaques — an initiative supported by Forestry’s Class of 1966 and led by alumnus Derek Coleman, who acquired his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry that year — completes the current display.  

“Our increasing awareness that forestry reserves are key to mitigating climate change,” says Dean Juan Du, who attended both events and addressed attendees afterward, “makes forestry knowledge more important than ever. The research and instruction done in forestry at the University of Toronto has been vital in contributing to regional and national practices and policies. Now that our various forestry programs share a home with our programs in architecture, landscape architecture, visual studies and urban design, we have an opportunity to refine our educational and research approaches with a more comprehensive understanding of one environment, the natural alongside the built.” 

This perspective resonated with many in attendance, says Forestry Director Sandy Smith, who describes attendees as “a very receptive crowd of urban foresters who have been waiting for this opportunity to build on the beginnings of urban forestry at U o T.” 

“It was great to get together in person and to celebrate past achievements in urban forestry,” she adds. “Everyone who participated was excited by the new vision for forestry at Daniels shared by the Dean.” 

Among those on hand for the planting in the Carolinian Forest Courtyard, a studiously maintained space studded with native trees and shrubs, was Erik Jorgensen’s granddaughter, Stoney Baker.  

The names completing the Woodwall include Dr. Smith, Dr. Coleman, Dr. Shashi Kant, Dr. Sally Krigstin, Dr. Jay Malcolm, Deborah Paes, Fred Pinto, Dr. Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, Dr. Mohini Sain, Dr. Sean Thomas, Tony Ung and Amalia Veneziano. 

Image slideshow: 1. Attendees gather in the Earth Sciences Centre after the November 24 tree planting honouring former professor Erik Jorgensen, a pioneer of urban forestry. 2. Forestry Director Sandy Smith and alumnus Derek Coleman (Class of ’66) unveil the newest honourees on Forestry’s Woodwall, which recognizes illustrious alumni, faculty and staff both past and present. 3. Daniels Faculty Dean Juan Du addresses the gathering after both ceremonies. (Photos by Evan Donohue and George Wang)

Banner image: Erik Jorgensen’s granddaughter, Stoney Baker (holding shovel), joined Dean Du (third from right), Forestry Director Smith (second from right) and others for the tree planting ceremony in honour of her grandfather. Jorgensen founded the Shade Tree Research Laboratory at U of T in the 1960s. (Photo by Evan Donohue)

Monday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 20
Daniels Faculty Building,
1 Spadina Crescent, Toronto, Ontario 

Throughout December, students in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, visual studies and forestry will present final projects to their instructors. Students of the Daniels Faculty will also present to guest critics from both academia and the professional community in attendance. 

Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is strongly encouraged, and UCheck continues to be available for uploading proof of vaccination. Please see the latest University of Toronto COVID-19 FAQS. 

Follow the Daniels Faculty @UofTDaniels on Instagram, and join the conversation using the hashtag #DanielsReviews22.
 

Monday, December 5 | Graduate

Design Studio I
LAN1011Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Behnaz Assadi (Coordinator), Pete North, Elnaz Sanati
Rooms: 230, 330

Tuesday, December 6 | Graduate

Design Studio I
ARC1011Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Vivian Lee (Coordinator), Fiona Lim Tung, Miles Gertler, Chris Cornecelli, Julia DiCastri, Carol Moukheiber, Tom Ngo
Rooms: 230, 330, Main Hall (170)

Wednesday, December 7 | Graduate

Intergraded Urbanism Studio
ARC2013Y, LAN2013Y, URD1011Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Roberto Damiani (Coordinator), Fadi Masoud (Coordinator), Michael Piper (Coordinator), Christos Marcopoulos, Aziza Chaouni, Laurence Holland, Drew Adams, George Baird, Lisa Rapoport, Jon Cummings, Natalia Echeverri, Rob Wright
Rooms: 215, 230, 240, 330

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Marina Tabassum
Room: 340

Thursday, December 8 | Graduate

Intergraded Urbanism Studio
ARC2013Y, LAN2013Y, URD1011Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Roberto Damiani (Coordinator), Fadi Masoud (Coordinator), Michael Piper (Coordinator), Christos Marcopoulos, Aziza Chaouni, Laurence Holland, Drew Adams, George Baird, Lisa Rapoport, Jon Cummings, Natalia Echeverri, Rob Wright
Rooms: 215, 230, 240, 330

Friday, December 9 | Graduate

Design Studio Options
LAN3016Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Ivan Valin
Room: 230

Design Studio Options
LAN3016Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Liz Wreford, Rob Wright
Rooms: 330

Tuesday, December 13 | Graduate & Undergraduate

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Jeannie Kim
Rooms: 230

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Zachary Mollica
Rooms: 330

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Brian Boigon
Rooms: 240

Architecture Studio III
ARC361Y1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Petros Babasikas (Coordinator), Shane Williamson, Carol Moukheiber
Rooms: Main Hall (170), 215

Capstone Project in Forest Conservation
FOR3008H
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Catherine Edwards
Rooms: 200

Wednesday, December 14 | Graduate & Undergraduate

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Petros Babasikas
Rooms: 330

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Shane Williamson
Rooms: 230

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Laura Miller
Rooms: 315, 340

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: John Shnier
Rooms: 1^st Floor Hallway

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Lukas Pauer
Rooms: 240

Architectural Design Studio 7:  Thesis
ARC4018Y
9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET

Instructors: Michael Piper, Miles Gertler, Reza Nik
Rooms: 209, 242

Landscape Architecture Studio III
ARC363Y1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Behnaz Assadi
Room: 215

Technology Studio III
ARC380Y1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Nicholas Hoban (Coordinator), Nathan Bishop
Rooms: Main Hall (170)

Capstone Project in Forest Conservation
FOR3008H
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Catherine Edwards
Rooms: 200

Thursday, December 15 | Graduate & Undergraduate

Architectural Design Studio:  Research 1
ARC3020Y
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Marc McQuade
Rooms: Graduate Studio

Drawing and Representation I
ARC100H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: James Macgillivray (Coordinator), Brandon Bergem, Saarinen Balagengatharadilak, Sonia Ramundi, Si Fei Mo, Danielle Whitley, Monifa Charles-Dedier, Jeffrey Garcia, Anamarija Korolj, Quan Thai, Ji Hee Kim, Anne Ma, Angela Cho, Kara Verbeek, Andrea Rodriguez Fos, Nicholas Barrette
Rooms: Principal Hall (170), 215, 230, 240, 315, 330, 340

Friday, December 16 | Graduate & Undergraduate 

Thesis 1
ALA4021Y
9 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

Instructor: Mason White
Rooms: 242

Urban Design Studio Options: Density
URD2013YF
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructors: Angus Laurie, Lorne Cappe, Mariana Leguia
Rooms: 209

Drawing and Representation II
ARC200H1
9 a.m.–2 p.m. ET

Instructors: Roberto Damiani (Coordinator), Phat Le, Michael Piper, Rez Nik, Matthew DeSantis, Sam Dufaux, David Verbeek, Katy Chey, Simon Rabyniuk, Nova Tayona, Noheir Elgendy, Kara Verbeek
Rooms: Main Hall (170), 215, 230, 240, 315, 330, 340
 

Monday, December 19 | Undergraduate

Design Studio II
ARC201H1
9 a.m.–2 p.m. ET

Instructors: Miles Gertler (Coordinator), Brian Boigon, Jennifer Kudlats, Jamie Lipson, Jeffrey Garcia
Rooms: 170C, 209, 215, 240, 242

Senior Seminar in History and Theory (Research)
ARC456H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Simon Rabyniuk
Room: 230

Senior Seminar in Design (Research)
ARC461H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Laura Miller
Room: 330

Senior Seminar in Technology (Research)
ARC486H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Nicholas Hoban
Rooms: Main Hall (170)

Tuesday, December 20 | Undergraduate

Senior Seminar in History and Theory (Research)
ARC456H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Simon Rabyniuk
Rooms: 230

Senior Seminar in Design (Research)
ARC461H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Laura Miller
Rooms: 330

Senior Seminar in Technology (Research)
ARC486H1
9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET

Instructor: Nicholas Hoban
Rooms: Main Hall (170)
 

Banner photo courtesy of GALDSU

The fiery red leaves of the giant sugar maple on the southeast edge of Spadina Circle have prompted many a passerby to stop and gawk over the last several weeks. Even amid other colourful specimens, the blazing scarlet display stands out, although it’s hardly an outlier in the autumn splendour department either on campus or across Toronto right now.

Are this year’s fall hues unusually spectacular? Yes, says Sean Thomas, professor of forestry at the Daniels Faculty and a longtime associate editor at the journal Tree Physiology. This season, he notes, a perfect storm of climatic conditions have coalesced to produce especially vibrant leaf tones. He broke down the whys and hows.

Why do leaves change colour? What’s the science behind it?

There is a common misconception that autumnal leaf-colour change is due entirely to degradation of chlorophyll that “unmasks” other pigments that are already there. This is true basically with yellow colouration, which is mainly due to carotenoid pigments. However, red colours in fall foliage are due to newly produced anthocyanin pigments, which raises an intriguing functional biology question: What is the adaptive value in leaves producing new pigments just before the leaves are to be shed?

There are a couple of hypotheses, but the explanation that I think has received the most support is that anthocyanin pigments are playing a role as a “sunscreen” that better enables trees to recover nutrients from senescing leaves. It turns out that the breakdown products of chlorophyll are highly reactive, particularly under high UV exposure and low temperatures. Without the protection offered by anthocyanins, free radicals are generated from the breakdown products of chlorophyll that disrupt the process of nutrient recovery. Some anthocyanins also are antioxidants and scavenge the free radicals, so there are likely two aspects to their protective function during leaf senescence.

This “nutrient recovery hypothesis” predicts that anthocyanin production should be greatest when temperatures are low (but still above freezing, since frost events kill leaves) and light levels are high. This pattern is widely supported. Demonstrating that anthocyanin production actually increases nutrient recovery itself is more difficult to demonstrate, but there is some evidence for this as well.

So the colours are more vivid this year? 

Compared to last year, yes. Consistent with the theory, last fall was a relatively warm one in the GTA, without near-frost events until well into November — and also relatively cloudy conditions. This year had the right combination [for brighter colour] of cold weather events, lack of drought or a hard frost, and relatively sunny conditions.

Why do people react so strongly to red tones, as we’ve seen with the single sugar maple on Spadina Circle?

I think the accepted psychological theory is that red provokes strong emotional reactions because it is a danger cue. But what happens when the entire landscape is red, or the colour is rendered on such a large scale? To speculate wildly outside of my area of expertise, a red forest landscape may initially provoke a kind of alarm reaction, to which viewers then acclimate, and this acclimation is pleasantly stimulating. Perhaps this is a bit like spicy food: “Hot” flavours are due to pain receptors, and the relaxation of the pain response releases endorphins.

Banner image by Zheren Zheng

After a months-long process of consultation and collaboration, the Daniels Faculty is excited to announce the members of its First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group, created in partnership with Indigenous stakeholders both within and outside the University to diversify the range of Indigenous knowledge at the Faculty and to increase the availability of the Advisors to students, faculty and staff. 
 
The new Advisors — Elder and Traditional Teacher Dorothy Peters, educator and advocate Amos Key Jr., and artist and community planner Trina Moyan — were brought together after an open call for members this past summer and a series of consultations with Indigenous members of the Faculty and University. 

The Advisors will provide regular and ongoing guidance to members of the Faculty, including its academic and administrative leadership teams, to facilitate a range of important goals, including greater incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into coursework and research activities, connecting students and faculty with Indigenous peoples and communities in productive and meaningful ways, and supporting the next generation of students through focused outreach and planning.   

Elder Peters, Key and Moyan will maintain regular office hours in Room 220 of the Daniels Building at 1 Spadina Crescent, providing both in-person and online advisory time for Indigenous students at U of T as well as all members of the Daniels Faculty.   

In addition to the on-site Advisory Group, acclaimed architect Douglas Cardinal, who served as the Faculty’s Frank O. Gehry Chair in 2020-2021, will join the Faculty as Decanal Advisor on Indigenous Knowledge. In this role, Dr. Cardinal will work closely with Dean Juan Du and the Faculty’s leadership team on the strategic development of Indigenous knowledge and research, its integration with the school’s curriculum, its dissemination through courses and public programs, and the ongoing recruitment of Indigenous faculty, students and staff. 

Dr. Cardinal’s appointment, along with those of the Advisory Group members, significantly enhances Indigenous presence and capacity at the Faculty, as well as increases its ability to answer the Calls to Action articulated by the University’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Steering Committee.  

“I am very pleased by this appointment,” said Dr. Cardinal upon accepting the role of Decanal Advisor on Indigenous Knowledge. “Although I do not speak on behalf of all Indigenous people, I do look forward to contributing my perspective and to working with the Dean and the Faculty on enhancing the dissemination of Indigenous teachings.”  

Adds Dean Du: “We have made great strides in terms of promoting and integrating Indigenous knowledge over the past few years, but there is much more work to be done. Elder Peters, Amos, Trina and Douglas each brings a wealth of educational, professional and lived experience to our school, and I look forward to continued learnings from them. Under their guidance, our commitment as a Faculty to pursuing Truth and Reconciliation and to addressing the Calls to Action will only be strengthened in the years and decades to come.” 

Elder Dorothy Peters 

A Traditional Teacher and Community Nookmis, Elder Peters is a member of Jiima’aaganing (Seine River) First Nation. Throughout her career, she has worked in various consultative capacities with multiple Indigenous organizations in Toronto, including Aboriginal Legal Services and Anduhyaun Inc., and she has previously supported Indigenous students at the University of Toronto through First Nations House, where she served until recently as an Elder-in-Residence. A residential school survivor, Elder Peters is regularly called upon to share her stories, teachings and cultural expertise at events throughout the city.

Amos Key Jr. 

A member of the Mohawk Nation, Key is an educator, advocate and Traditional Faith Keeper of the Longhouse at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. The long-time Director of First Nations Language at Woodland Cultural Centre, where he co-founded the Gaweni:yo Cayuga/Mohawk Immersion School System, Key is a leading figure in the ongoing language revitalization movement among First Nations people in Canada. He has also taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Indigenous Studies, and was the inaugural Vice-Provost, Indigenous at Brock University in St. Catharines.

Trina Moyan 

Artist and activist Moyan is nehiyaw iskwew (Plains Cree) from the Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta. She began her career as a writer and producer for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and co-produced and directed the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now Indspire) for CBC Television. Moyan is a co-founder of Toronto-based Bell & Bernard, a First Nations consulting firm dedicated to including the histories and current realities of Indigenous peoples within urban planning projects, and has spoken widely on Indigenous inclusion and empowerment. Moyan is also a muralist, a traditional dancer and a University of Toronto alumna.

Douglas Cardinal 

One of the world’s most prominent Indigenous architects, Dr. Cardinal is known for his lifelong commitment to sustainable design and for such landmark buildings as the Canadian Museum of History. Born in Calgary to a father of Blackfoot heritage and a German/Métis mother, he served as the Daniels Faculty’s Frank O. Gehry Chair in 2020-2021 and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Toronto in June 2022. In 2018, Dr. Cardinal led a team of Indigenous architects and designers who represented Canada at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and he continues to design residential, institutional and industrial buildings. His role as Decanal Advisor on Indigenous Knowledge at the Daniels Faculty continues his longtime advocacy for the dignity and advancement of Indigenous Peoples.

The Daniels Faculty’s buildings have been full of much activity of late. For many of you returning to our classrooms, labs and offices this month, it’ll be the first time in a long while that we are all fully back in person for the start of a new school year. For others, this month will mark your first-ever time at the Faculty or even at the University of Toronto. Whichever the case, I want to welcome everyone to the 2022-2023 academic year. I am thrilled that we are all together again. The coming year promises to be an exceptional one in many ways.
 
Over the past two years, we have all had to rethink how we learn and come together as a community. As a result, the Faculty has garnered many valuable lessons that we hope will serve us all better as we embark on this new term. For our students, our aim is to restore as great a degree of normalcy and access as possible, so that you can enjoy the full benefits of your experience here in safe and vibrant learning spaces.  
 
These benefits include not only a world-class education at one of the most interdisciplinary design schools on the continent, but also a full roster of inspiring extracurricular offerings. This fall’s public programming series includes lectures, panel discussions and performances by some of the leading designers, artists and thinkers in their fields; it’ll be kicked off on September 15 with the annual Gehry Chair Lecture, to be delivered by Dhaka-based architect Marina Tabassum, the 2022-2023 Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design. Look out, too, for two major exhibitions in the Architecture and Design Gallery at 1 Spadina Crescent this year, as well as a multitude of activities planned around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Black Heritage Month, and other noteworthy dates.
 
One of the most exciting and important developments at the Faculty this semester is the presence of our newly assembled First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group, created after an open public call this summer. Part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing Indigenous knowledge and capacity at our school, the multi-person Group will be working closely with the Faculty leadership team and with all members of our community. More information on the Advisory Group, as well as collaborative Faculty learning and awareness facilitated by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, will be shared very soon.

As these initiatives suggest, equity, diversity and inclusion are among our greatest priorities at the Faculty, which is why I’m also happy to welcome, among the impressive new additions to our academic and administrative team, our inaugural Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Jewel Amoah, who joined us in July, has been tasked with working with all of us to facilitate the kind of institutional changes required to foster equal access and representation across the Faculty. She brings a wealth of international advocacy and academic experience to the role, and I look forward to working closely with her as we strive toward this important goal.
 
As our Advisory Group and our Assistant Dean EDI conduct their work, they will seek to build as many relationships with faculty, students and other stakeholders as they can, meaning that their doors will always be open. Mine, too. Part of the joy of working at the Daniels Faculty is how uniquely connected we all are in our distinct yet intertwined pursuits. I very much look forward to strengthening those connections even more this term, and to a great year ahead!
 
Juan Du (she/her)
Dean and Professor
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Photos by Emma Hwang

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto is excited to present its Fall 2022 public program. Through a series of book talks, panel discussions, lectures and symposia, our aim is to foster meaningful dialogue on the important social, political and environmental challenges confronting our world today. Among the questions raised: How might we create new knowledge and leverage it as a tool for critical reflection and, ultimately, collective change?

Our programs — and the difficult questions that motivate them — address a range of topics that are central to what we do, including design and social justice, art and new media, urban development and housing, and ecology and landscape resilience.

All events are free and open to the public. Register in advance and check the calendar for up-to-date details at daniels.utoronto.ca/events. 

September 15, 6:30 p.m. ET
Gehry Chair Lecture: Marina Tabassum on Architecture of Transition
Featuring Marina Tabassum (2022-2023 Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design, Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)
Moderated by Juan Du (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)

September 27, 6:30 p.m. ET
Artist Talk
Featuring Montreal-based new-media artist and composer Erin Gee
Moderated by Mitchell Akiyama (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)

October 3, 12:30 p.m. ET
Afterall Vol. 53 Launch
Featuring Stan Douglas in conversation with Charles Stankievech (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)

October 5, 12:30 p.m. ET
Site Constructed: Alvar Aalto, Luis Barragan
Featuring Marc Treib (College of Environmental Design, University of California at Berkeley)
Moderated by Georges Farhat (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)

October 6, 6:30 p.m. ET
Serious Fun: The Landscapes of Claude Cormier
Featuring Claude Cormier (Claude Cormier + Associés, Montreal) with Susan Herrington (School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia) and Marc Treib (College of Environmental Design, University of California at Berkeley)
Moderated by Elise Shelley (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)

October 20, 6:30 p.m. ET
Housing Multitudes: Reimagining the Landscapes of Suburbia
Exhibition Opening
Conceived and curated by Richard Sommer (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) and Michael Piper (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) in collaboration with Daniels Faculty colleagues, students and others

October 27, 6:30 p.m. ET
Hough Lecture: Dilip da Cunha on Ocean of Wetness: Where Design Begins
Featuring Dilip da Cunha (Michael Hough/OALA Visiting Critic in Landscape Architecture)
Moderated by Elise Shelley (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)
 
November 3, 6:30 p.m. ET
A Retrofitting Suburbia Agenda for Equity, Health and Resilience to Climate Change
Featuring June Williamson (Spitzer School of Architecture, The City College of New York) in association with the exhibition Housing Multitudes: Reimagining the Landscapes of Suburbia
 
November 8, 1:00 p.m. ET
Magnificent Modular  
Featuring Lina Lahiri (Sauerbruch Hutton, Berlin)
Moderated by Roberto Damiani (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)
 
November 10, 6:30 p.m. ET
Contemporary Indigenous Performance and Artist Discussion  
Featuring Sandra Laronde (Misko Kizhigoo Migizii Kwe) and Red Sky Performance
 
November 17, 6:30 p.m. ET
Feminist Architectural Histories of Migration
Featuring Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi (Architecture Department, Barnard College) and Rachel Lee (Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft) with Juan Du (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto), Alexandra Pereira-Edwards (Canadian Centre for Architecture), Armaghan Ziaee (California State University San Marcos), Meredith TenHoor (School of Architecture, Pratt Institute) and Pamela Karimi (Art Education, Art History and Media Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth)

November 22, 12:30 p.m. ET
Resilient Urban Forests Require All Hands on Deck: Lessons from Ecology, Community Science and Working Across Disciplines
Featuring Carly Ziter (Biology Department, Concordia University)
Moderated by Sean Thomas (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto)
 
November 29, 6:30 p.m. ET
The Art of Being of Service to Art
Featuring Cheryl Sim (Director and Curator, Phi Centre)
Moderated by Mitchell Akiyama (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) 
 

The Daniels Faculty is pleased to announce that, as part of our ongoing commitment to developing and enhancing Indigenous knowledge and capacity in our Faculty, the role of the First Peoples Leadership Advisor is being expanded to a First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group in order to diversify perspectives and include multiple experiences and expertise from broader Indigenous communities. The expanded role and responsibilities, as well as the public open call for applications, have been made in close consultation with U of T’s Office for Indigenous Initiatives and First Nations House.  

In expanding this role to an Advisory Group to include three members, the Daniels Faculty, its students and our community will benefit from the contributions and advice of multiple perspectives. This group will work closely with a Faculty leadership team and use Wecheehetowin: Answering the Call, U of T’s response to the TRC report, to guide the directions of our efforts and build on work already undertaken within the Faculty.  

This First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group will provide leadership and guidance within the Faculty to enable greater incorporation of Indigenous knowledge into the teaching curriculum and research activities. It will also expand connections and engagement with Indigenous peoples and communities for our students and faculty. And, perhaps most importantly, they will further support the next generation of students in the Daniels Faculty.   

Key responsibilities include: 

Curriculum enrichment: 

• Providing curriculum and research support to the Daniels Faculty to ensure relevant and culturally grounded elements are included 
• Collaborating with faculty on the design and implementation of Indigenous research and education content 
• Supporting targeted requests from faculty for perspective and insight 

Student support: 

• Supporting current Daniels Faculty Indigenous students on culturally specific, financial, academic support or other issues as they arise; liaising with the Registrar or First Nations House as appropriate 
• Advising non-Indigenous students seeking cultural perspective, input, resources or guidance  

Advisory and outreach: 

• Offer advice and counsel to the Dean and Faculty leadership 
• Facilitating outreach or introduction into communities for projects or initiatives 
• Supporting cultivation of pathways for future students to the Daniels Faculty 
• Providing advice on pathways to admission for Indigenous youth and other potential students.  

Service: 

• Establish connections with the U of T Office of Indigenous Initiatives 
• Working with Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion on broader Faculty initiatives 
• Advising or participating in ceremonies as requested  
• The First Peoples Advisory Group will lead the creation of its Terms of Reference 

Open Call: Those interested may apply via the following link by Friday, July 29, 2022:  

First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group – Application Form 

Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of members from U of T’s Office for Indigenous Initiatives and the Daniels Faculty Leadership Team, as well as representatives from Daniels Faculty Indigenous students and alumni. 

Banner image: This year’s Design Studio 2 (ARC 1012) tasked Master of Architecture students with designing a seedbank for the non-profit Kayanase organization (student Alice Dong’s is pictured above) using both science-based approaches and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge. Part of the Daniels Faculty’s ongoing commitment to integrating meaningful Indigenous content into the curriculum, the first-year core MARC course was developed in collaboration with multiple Indigenous experts and directly addresses Call to Action No. 17 in U of T’s response to the report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. (Photo by Harry Choi)

Newly minted BAAS grad Jessie Pan’s research into the use of trees in building simulation has come full circle in a little over a year.

It started in May of 2021 when she won the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award to study how better tree modelling could improve building designs. Flash forward 12 months and she will be presenting the fruits of her research, which include a framework for the creation of more dynamic tree models than typically used by designers, at the e-Sim conference in Ottawa on June 22.

“I am excited about the presentation,” says Pan, who received her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies degree on June 15. “It is a great honour to be presenting my first paper at my first conference.”

Titled Simulating the Impact of Deciduous Trees on Energy, Daylight and Visual Comfort: Impact Analysis and a Practical Framework for Implementation, the peer-reviewed paper that Pan will be presenting at eSim encompasses the research she undertook with Assistant Professor Alstan Jakubiec over the past year.

The current practice in building simulation, she notes, tends to use solid or simplified trees, disregarding their complex and fluctuating effects, especially when it comes deciduous varieties. 

“Deciduous trees are sophisticated due to tree phenology and leaf senescence that impact their foliage density and colour throughout the year,” Pan explains. “We created a framework for developing dynamic tree models that integrate temporal schedules of colour change, leaf drop and regrowth, as well as physical measurements of gap fractions.”

What she and Jakubiec discovered was that, “when compared to our detailed tree models,” there are “significant differences in lighting, heating and cooling loads when using simplified models…or no trees at all.”

More sophisticated tree modelling, in short, can quantifiably lead to better, more energy-efficient buildings.

The eSim Building Simulation Conference — organized by Carleton University, National Research Council Canada and Natural Resources Canada — is slated to be held at Carleton on June 22 and 23. The theme this year — the conference’s 12th — is Simulating Buildings for the New Normal, with a focus on “using building performance simulation to model and research indoor air quality and other strategies for mitigating risks related to transmission of infectious disease.”

Typically, some 200 delegates attend each conference, with more than 75 peer-reviewed papers presented. Pan is scheduled to present hers on the first day of the event.

In addition to receiving the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Pan also won the 2021 Project StaSIO Summer Challenge, which was focused on the subjects of daylight and glare, for her graphics illustrating her findings.

She created the graphics using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Excel, Grasshopper/Rhino and Python. The tools used in the simulation analysis were ClimateStudio, Radiance and Python.

The entire project was “my first exposure to academic research and I am very grateful for this experience with Professor Jakubiec,” Pan says. “This opportunity has jumpstarted my research interest, skillset and background, and I look forward to applying it all during my future graduate studies.”

Banner image: BAAS student Jessie Pan poses for a portrait after receiving an Academic Merit Award during the Daniels Faculty’s Graduation and Awards Celebration at 1 Spadina Crescent on June 14. (Photo by Sara Elhawash)