On January 1, Cathryn Copper joined the Daniels Faculty as head of the Eberhard Zeidler Library. The appointment marks a homecoming of sorts for the U of T alumna. It was here that Copper completed her graduate studies in library science, propelling her on to stints in California, Virginia and, now, her alma mater, where she’ll oversee the library’s 37,000-volume collection. In the interview below, Copper discusses her new role, her digital aspirations for the library, what she loves about Toronto and her latest book recommendations.

Welcome, Cathryn, to the Daniels Faculty!
Thank you!

Where were you prior to joining the Faculty?
Before this role I was the head of the Art and Architecture Library at Virginia Tech. I went to grad school here at the University of Toronto, where I completed my Master of Library and Information Science. While I was studying here, I did some internships with design think tanks in Toronto. I actually worked at the [now closed] Shore + Moffatt Library as a student employee.

After finishing my graduate degree, I went to work at the Woodbury School of Architecture in San Diego. I was there for about eight years. And then in 2018, I moved to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. And now I’m here. I've always been an architecture librarian throughout.

Why architecture?
It was while I was studying at U of T that I realized I wanted to work in architecture libraries. I just like working with the faculties and the students and seeing their projects.

What are some of the differences between the two universities you worked at previously and here?
The biggest thing that sticks out for me is that I feel like U of T deeply values its libraries. It has a big research culture and ecosystem. In all the previous places I've been at, the art or architecture library is the lone branch library. Here, there’s something like 42. And each of the libraries has its own autonomy and identity.

I've honestly never seen a system like this other than maybe Harvard or Yale. To have that big and intricate of a library system is pretty amazing.

Was there anything about Toronto itself that drew you back to the city?
Yes, definitely. What I learned about living in a rural area like Blacksburg is that you can have a big house and a beautiful yard, but you give up access to so many things, such as museums, culture, diversity … and good food!

It's just great to be back in a city again, to be inspired and immersed with all kinds of people doing exciting things. I think it brings a different energy to the work that you do.

Did you drive from Virginia to Toronto?
We did. It's usually about a 10-hour drive, but it took us three days because of the snow. Overall, it wasn’t that bad. We had to stay at some roadside hotels. It became a fun experience.

Were you driving a big U-Haul truck?
Yes! And it was filled mostly with my plants. I had to get them certified and inspected to bring them across the border. Some of them are a little cold-damaged, but they made it. I can’t wait to fill my office with plants.

The new head of the Eberhard Zeidler Library credits her studies and internship experience at U of T for instilling a love of architecture and libraries. (Photo by Gelek Badheytsang)

What do you think makes the Eberhard Zeidler Library special?
Architecture libraries are usually the most well-designed libraries on campus and that is especially true about the Eberhard Zeidler Library. It is a gorgeous space. You can tell it’s well integrated into the Daniels Faculty and appreciated by the community here. It’s a sanctuary for faculty and students to research, study and rejuvenate.

The physical collection here features more than 37,000 volumes — including periodicals and journals, maps, drawings and manuscripts — with a focus on contemporary architecture and design. There are also unique features like a special collections room that contains the collection of former dean George Baird and numerous other materials.

I’m still finding my way around the library, so there is a lot here that I look forward to exploring myself.

As we transition back into in-person learning, what are some of the health and safety measures that will be in place in the library?
We have reduced seating so that you can spread out in the library. We have semi-private spaces for people to use. We’re also making sure that everybody has a green UCheck screen before they enter. Beyond that, we’re trying to facilitate access as much as possible so that people can still get hold of the materials they would have at any other time.

What are you most excited about in the coming weeks and months?
Generally speaking, I feel like this is a really opportune moment to be starting a new position in libraries. There’s a renewed momentum around diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice in academia and everywhere else. I’m really excited about looking at the collections and resources we have here and figuring out how I can help develop them further through those lenses, in collaboration with the Daniels Faculty and Dean Juan Du, who seems equally passionate about these initiatives.

The pandemic also forced a lot of people to use electronic resources. That’s another thing that I’m excited to dive into. Creating a bigger digital presence for the library, highlighting e-resources and thinking about how to blend all of that are all very interesting and important challenges.

I’m also really looking forward to meeting everybody in person, getting to know the building, the students and learning about their projects and research interests. I think I'll spend a lot of time just doing that.

Any book recommendations?
I have two. First, New Chinese Architecture, which features our own Dean Du, among a select group of 20 female architects in China.

And the second, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, by Timothy Snyder.

Thank you for the chat. And all the best!
Thank you! See you in the library.

Banner image: Copper looks ahead to a busy year reviewing the library’s collections, enhancing its digital presence and getting to know the Daniels Faculty community. (Photo by Gelek Badheytsang)

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto is excited to present its Winter 2022 public program. Through a series of book talks, panel discussions, lectures and symposia, our aim is to foster a meaningful dialogue on the important social, political and environmental challenges that confront our world today. 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: design and social justice, building technology and climate change, urban development and real estate, community resiliency, among others.  
 
All events are free and open to the public. Register in advance and check the calendar for up-to-date details: daniels.utoronto.ca/events.  

Winter 2022 

January 18, 12 p.m. ET 
Forest For the Trees: The Tree Planters 
Rita Leistner (Author and Photographer) 
Moderated by Sandy Smith (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

January 27, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Black Bodies, White Gold: Art, Cotton, and Commerce in the Atlantic World 
Anna Arabindan-Kesson (Author; Princeton University, Department of Art and Archaeology) 
Moderated by Jason Nguyen (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

February 3, 6:30 p.m. ET 
In Conversation with Black Students in Design: Building Black Spaces  
Rashad Shabazz (Arizona State University, School of Social Transformation) 
Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall (OCAD University, Faculty of Design) 
Rinaldo Walcott (University of Toronto, Department of Sociology and Equity Studies) 
Moderated by Black Students in Design (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

February 4, 10 a.m. ET 
Sea Machines 
Keller Easterling (Yale University, School of Architecture) 
Larrie Ferreiro (George Mason University, Department of History and Art History) 
Carola Hein (Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) 
Niklas Maak (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) 
Meredith Martin (New York University, Department of Art History) 
Prita Meier (New York University, Department of Art History) 
Sara Rich (Coastal Carolina University, HTC Honors College) 
Margaret Schotte (York University, Department of History) 
Elliott Sturtevant (Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation)
Gillian Weiss (Case Western Reserve University, Department of History) 
Co-moderated by Jason Nguyen and Christy Anderson (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

February 10, 12 p.m. ET 
Thinking Like a Mountain 
Stephanie Carlisle (University of Washington, Carbon Leadership Forum) 
Rosetta Elkin (McGill University, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture) 
Joseph Grima (Space Caviar) 
Scott McAulay (Anthropocene Architecture School)  
Co-moderated by Kelly Doran, Sam Dufaux and Douglas Robb (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

February 15, 12 p.m. ET 
Wigs and Women: Korean and Black Migrations and the American Street 
Min Kyung Lee (Bryn Mawr College, Department of Growth and Structure of Cities) 
Moderated by Jason Nguyen and Erica Allen-Kim (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

February 17, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Tower Renewal and Overcoming Canada’s Retrofit Crisis: Research / Advocacy / Practice 
Graeme Stewart (ERA Architects), presenting research undertaken with Ya’el Santopinto (ERA Architects) 
The George Baird Lecture 
Introductions by Dean Juan Du and Professor George Baird (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

March 3, 6:30 p.m. ET 
A Place for Life – An Archeology of the Future 
Lina Ghotmeh (2021-2022 Frank O. Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design) 
Moderated by Juan Du (Dean and Professor, University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty)  

March 29, 12 p.m. ET 
After Concrete 
Lucia Allais (Columbia University, Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation) 
Forrest Meggers (Princeton University, School of Architecture) 
Moderated by Mary Lou Lobsinger (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty)  

March 31, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Urban Urgencies 
Marion Weiss (Partner, Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism; Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Stuart Weitzman School of Design)
Michael Manfredi (Partner, Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism; Senior Urban Design Critic, Harvard University Graduate School Of Design)
Moderated by Juan Du (Dean and Professor, University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

April 5, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Little Jamaica 
Elizabeth Antczak (Open Architecture Collaborative Canada) 
Romain Baker (Black Urbanism TO) 
Cheryll Case (CP Planning) 
Tura Cousins Wilson (Studio of Contemporary Architecture)
Co-moderated by Otto Ojo and Michael Piper with Black Students in Design (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

April 7, 6:30 p.m. ET 
Reimagining ChinaTOwn: Speculative Fiction Stories from Toronto's Chinatown(s) in 2050 
Linda Zhang (Organizer and Facilitator; X University, School of Interior Design) 
Biko Mandela Gray (Facilitator; Syracuse University, African American Religion) 
Michael Chong (Author) 
Amelia Gan (Author) 
Eveline Lam (Author) 
Amy Yan (Author and Illustrator) 
Moderated and facilitated by Erica Allen-Kim (University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 

April 8, 10 a.m. ET
Design for Resilient Communities International Symposium 
In association with UIA Word Congress 2023: Sustainable Futures - Leave No One Behind
Convenors: 
Juan Du (Dean and Professor, University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty) 
Anna Rubbo (Senior Scholar, Columbia University, Center for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute) 

Learn more about News and Events and Exhibitions, follow along with the Faculty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and sign-up for This Week @ Daniels to receive current information on upcoming events. 

“Eb Zeidler was a humanist, seeing design in terms of service to the community. His work was innovative and in many cases iconic, but ultimately he wanted to create places for people, not monuments.”

So notes urban designer Ken Greenberg of celebrated architect Eberhard Zeidler, who passed away on January 7 at the age of 95.

In addition to creating some of Canada’s most recognizable structures, from Ontario Place and the Eaton Centre in Toronto to Canada Place for Expo 86 in Vancouver, the German-born architect had a sustained relationship with the Daniels Faculty, culminating in the establishment of the Eberhard Zeidler Library in the revitalized Daniels Building, to which he and his wife Jane (MA Art History, 1989, U of T) generously contributed.

“Eberhard Zeidler leaves important architectural and civic legacies to the city and to the Daniels Faculty at the University of Toronto,” said Dean Juan Du upon learning of his death. “We at the school are deeply saddened by the loss.”

“The name Eberhard Zeidler,” former dean Richard Sommer noted during the 2019 dedication of the Eberhard Zeidler Library and Zeidler Family Reading Room, “is firmly ensconced in the school’s history as one that continues to inspire and shape the architecture education of many faculty, alumni and current students.”

The 37,000-volume library, which also contains a trove of maps, drawings and manuscripts as well as copious digital resources, is only the most prominent of Eberhard and Jane’s contributions to the University. Having established his own practice, now known as Zeidler, in the 1960s, Eberhard was a visiting lecturer and critic at the Faculty before serving as an adjunct professor from 1983 to 1995.

He and Jane were also pleased to invest in and recognize the next generation of architectural talent by establishing the Eberhard Zeidler Scholarship in 1999. Last bestowed this fall, it’s awarded on the basis of academic achievement to a student concluding his or her first year of the Master of Architecture program.

“He was very passionate about the teaching of architecture,” Dr. Zeidler’s son Robert tweeted this weekend. Both Eb and Jane passed on their civic-mindedness to their four children: Margie, Robert, Kate and Christina.

Dr. Eberhard Zeidler and Mrs. Jane Zeidler with their children, from top left, Christina, Kate, Margie and Robert. (Photo by John Hryniuk)

Filmmaker and artist Christina has become a well-known preservationist, transforming neglected historic gems such as the Gladstone Hotel, while alumna Margie (BArch, 1987, U of T) is 401 Richmond’s president and creator; these two projects are now thriving cultural hubs in Toronto. Robert, meanwhile, developed the Cotton Factory project in Hamilton, Ontario, while Kate is a leading interior designer, with more than 25 years in the business.

Such creative acumen owes a debt to Dr. Zeidler’s example. “Eb Zeidler began the transformation of a rather conservative Toronto in the late ’70s by reinterpreting classical architecture spaces in surprising new ways,” says Marianne McKenna, a founding partner at KPMB Architects.

“He cleverly jump-started today’s contemporary Toronto with modern materials and fresh architectural forms. His genius was in creating new public spaces that people actually love to be in. He was an architect who put our spatial experience first.”

Over the years, Dr. Zeidler had been acknowledged with gratitude by the country, city and institutions to which he devoted his talents. In 1989, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Architecture by the University of Toronto. He was also made an Officer of the Order of Canada and received a gold medal from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

According to those who knew him best, however, his real rewards were in the creation and improvement of spaces we collectively use and enjoy.

“He was an exemplary Torontonian [who] involved himself throughout his career in the issues of the day, taking positions when others in the profession did not,” recalls Greenberg.

“At the time of the Central Area Plan [in the 1970s], Toronto’s reform Council wanted to bring people to live in the city’s core, which was rapidly becoming an office monoculture. Eb and a few others stepped up to challenge the development industry of the time by showing how mixed-use could be done.”

For Greenberg, Dr. Zeidler’s work with Michael Hough on Ontario Place is “one of the great demonstrations of a powerful fusion of architecture and landscape.” It is also reflective of his overall approach to architecture and life.

“He was,” says the urban designer, “a great collaborator.”

To learn more about Dr. Zeidler’s life and legacies, visit this website.

Banner image: Dr. and Mrs. Zeidler sign the guestbook at the Zeidler Family Reading Room in 2019. (Photo by John Hryniuk)

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design officially unveiled a new mural design honouring the 215 children whose unmarked graves were discovered in May of last year at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. Now installed across the Daniels Building’s north facade, the sprawling work by multidisciplinary artist Que Rock, a member of Nipissing First Nation, also commemorates the graves that continue to be uncovered across Turtle Island.

Symbolizing the Seven Grandfather Teachings of humility, courage, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love, a sun anchoring the eastern end of the facade extends westward toward the opposite side, where a Grandmother Moon represents the connection to Turtle Island, the water nation and Mother Earth. At the centre of the mural, which is shaded with the colours of traditional medicine wheels, children are carried by eagles to the spirit world. The eagles also carry fish for a healing journey.

“My goal is to portray the teachings of my ancestors, sacred geometry and the Laws of Nature in all my art forms,” explains Toronto-based Que Rock, who is also a musician and dancer. “The goal for the Daniels Mural Project is a visual healing experience.”  

The installation was initiated by Elder Whabagoon, the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean, in partnership with the Daniels Art Directive (DAD), a student-led group that spearheads exhibitions, workshops and community projects. At their behest, the Faculty put out an open call for mural proposals from First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists living in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. Submissions were reviewed by an advisory panel comprised of members of U of T’s Indigenous communities: James Bird, Melissa Deleary, Jaime Kearns, Robin Rice and Brenda Wastasecoot. Que Rock’s selected proposal was publicly revealed on September 30, 2021.

“We wanted to initiate a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report and to U of T’s Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin,” says Michelle Ng, a fourth-year Daniels student and co-founder of DAD. “This inaugural Indigenous public-art piece brings people together for healing. It is only the beginning.”

Que Rock’s visual art, including large street-art projects and works on canvas, draw from both Anishnaabe culture and daily urban interactions. With each piece, he aims to convey Indigenous knowledge, the meaning of sacred symbolism and the primacy of nature, articulating it all in a style he describes as “making the woodlands dance.”

After applying the main motifs in the Daniels mural, the artist invited Daniels Faculty students from across disciplines to add 215 red circles to the installation and to participate in workshops aimed at augmenting the circles based on Indigenous teachings. Those workshops, led by Que Rock, will be held in January, February and March.

Banner image: Indigenous artist Que Rock stands in front of the mural he created for the facade of the Daniels Faculty. (Photo by: Nadya Kwandibens/Red Works Photography)

Daniels students from across disciplines gathered to add 215 red circles to the installation.

“I applaud those involved in the mural project for utilizing our building as a canvas of Indigenous expression and for collectively advancing the process of Canadian reconciliation,” says Professor Juan Du, Dean of the Daniels Faculty.

The project, which also includes an educator’s guide for discussing the mural with high-school students, is part of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives at Daniels. To learn more, visit the Faculty’s Diversity and Inclusion page.

Follow the Daniels Faculty on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for general updates and check out our website for the latest news.

About our Supporters

Thank you to the generous support of the following:

StreetARToronto (StART)
Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners 
Office of Indigenous Initiatives

For media, please contact Sara Elhawash sara.elhawash@daniels.utoronto.ca or call (437)-990-5527.

This December, students in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and forestry will present their final projects in-person at the Daniels Building on One Spadina Crescent, to their instructors. Students of the Daniels Faculty will also present to guest critics from both academia and the professional community in attendance.  

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The University of Toronto will not be holding in-person exams or reviews effective 8 a.m. on Thursday, December 16, 2021. Instructors will contact individual students. Please see the latest University of Toronto COVID-19 planning update.

Follow the Daniels Faculty @UofTDaniels on Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation using the hashtag #DanielsReviews.

Thursday, Dec 9 | Graduate

Design Studio 1 
ARC1011Y 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Vivian Lee (Coordinator), Fiona Lim Tung, Miles Gertler, Sam Ghantous, Aleris Rodgers, Julia DiCastri, Maria Denegri 
Rooms: 215, 230, 240, Gallery, DA170-Raked Seating 
 
Design Studio 1 
LAN1011Y  
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Behanz Assadi (Coordinator), Peter North  
Room: 330 
 

Friday, December 10 | Undergraduate

Drawing and Representation 1 
ARC100H1 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Vivian Lee (Coordinator), Brandon Bergem, Matthew DeSantis, Daniel Briker, Chloe Town, Danielle Whitley, David Verbeek, Jamie Lipson, Anamarija Korolj, Andrew Lee, Luke Duross, Anne Ma, Angela Cho, Kara Verbeek, Andrea Rodriguez Fos, Nicholas Barrette 
Rooms: 215, 230, 240, 330, 2nd Floor Hallway, Gallery  
 

Monday, December 13 | Graduate & Undergraduate 

Integrated Urbanism 
ARC2013Y, LAN2013Y, URD1011Y 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Roberto Damiani (Coordinator), Fadi Masoud (Coordinator), Michael Piper (Coordinator), Christos Marcopoulos, Pina Petricone, Mariana Leguia, Lukas Pauer, Delnaz Yekrangian, Laurence Holland, Jon Cummings, Drew Adams, Robert Wright, Megan Esopenko 
Rooms: 209, 215, 230, 240, 330 

Design Studio II 
ARC201H1 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Miles Gertler (Coordinator), Chris Cornecelli, Jennifer Kudlats, Luke Duross, T. Jeffrey Garcia 
Rooms: 242, DA-170-Raked seating, 1st Floor Hallway, 2nd Floor Hallway, Gallery 

Tuesday, December 14 | Graduate

Integrated Urbanism 
ARC2013Y, LAN2013Y, URD1011Y 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Roberto Damiani (Coordinator), Fadi Masoud (Coordinator), Michael Piper (Coordinator), Christos Marcopoulos, Pina Petricone, Mariana Leguia, Lukas Pauer, Delnaz Yekrangian, Laurence Holland, Jon Cummings, Drew Adams, Robert Wright, Megan Esopenko 
Rooms: 209, 215, 230, 240, 330 
 

Research Studios / Option Studios 

Landscape Design Studio Research   
Slow Landscape: to a new expression of place 
LAN3016Y  
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Instructor: Victoria Taylor 
Room: Gallery 

Urban Design Studio Options 
URD2013Y  
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructor: Angus Laurie 
Room: DA-170 Raked Seating 

Capstone Project Presentations in Forest Conservation 
FOR3008H 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
See detailed agenda and zoom links here 
 

Wednesday, December 15 | Graduate

Capstone Project Presentations in Forest Conservation 
FOR3008H  
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Capstone Project Presentations 
See detailed agenda and zoom links here 

Research Studios / Option Studios 

Mediated Alps: Reconstructing mountain archives and futures 
LAN3016Y 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 
 
Instructor: Aisling O’Carroll  
Room: 330 
 
Reconceptualizing a 1960’s urban renewal project in downtown Hamilton, Ontario: The Jackson Square Shopping Mall 
ARC3020Y F 
12:00pm - 6:00pm 
 
Instructor: George Baird 
Room: 209 

Framing, Looping & Projecting Quantum Architecture 
ARC3016Y S 
9:00am - 1:00pm 

Instructor: Brian Boigon 
Room: 209 & 242 

Half Studio 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Kelly Alvarez Doran  
Room: 230 

BROWSE, the Gathering 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Lara Lesmes, Fredrik Hellberg 
Room: TBA (Online) 
 

Thursday, December 16 | Graduate

Technology Studio III 
ARC380Y1 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructor: Nicholas Hoban (Coordinator), Nathan Bishop 
Online 

 
Research Studios / Option Studios 

Meuble Immeuble 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 
 
Instructor: An Te Liu 
Online 

STUFF 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Laura Miller 
Online

Interstellar Architecture: Designing and prototyping a home beyond Earth 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Brady Peters 
Online

Reappraising the Design of Long-Term Care Residential Environments in the Context of COVID-19 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Stephen Verderber 
Online
 

Friday, December 17 | Undergraduate

Post Professional Thesis 1 
ALA4021Y 
10a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Instructor: Roberto Damiani, Coordinator 
Online

Architectural Design Studio 7: Thesis 
ARC4018Y 
12 p.m. - 5 p.m. 

Instructors: Vivian Lee, Mary Lou Lobsinger, Adrian Phiffer, Mauricio Quiros Pacheco, Mason White 
Online

Research Studios / Option Studios 

Bridging the Divide: An Architecture of Demographic Transition 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Shane Williamson 
Online 

Potent Voids 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 

Instructor: Lina Ghotmeh 
Online

ARCHIPELAGO, 3.0: Storytelling, Activism, Re-Building 
ARC3020Y F 
9:00am - 1:00pm, 2:00pm - 6:00pm 
 
Instructor: Petros Babasikas 
Online 
 

Monday, December 20 | Undergraduate

Architecture Studio III 
ARC361Y1 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Adrian Phiffer (Coordinator), Nova Tayona, Shane Williamson 
Online

Landscape Architecture Studio III 
ARC363Y1 
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
 
Instructor: Behnaz Assadi 
Online

Digital Twinning 
ARC465H1 
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Instructor: Jay Pooley 
Online
 

Tuesday, December 21 | Undergraduate

Drawing and Representation II 
ARC200H1 
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Michael Piper (Coordinator), Sonai Ramundi, Reza Nik, Mohammed Soroor, Sam Ghantous, Katy Chey, Sam Dufaux, Scott Norsworthy, Kfir Gluzberg, J. Alejandro Lopez 
Online

Undergraduate Thesis I 
ARC456H1/ARC461H1/ARC486H1 
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
 
Instructors: Laura Miller, Nicholas Hoban, Simon Rabyniuk 
Online

Master of Visual Studies Proseminar Winter 2021-2022 series

Cassandra, Cassandra
December 7, 2021 at 6 p.m.
Daniels Building, 1 Spadina Crescent
Main Hall, DA170C

Laurie Kang
December 14, 2021 at 6 p.m.
Daniels Building, 1 Spadina Crescent
Main Hall, DA170C

Stephanie Dinkins
January 25, 2022 at 6 p.m.
Online via Zoom

Srimoyee Mitra
February 1, 2022 at 6 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Passcode: 130223

Nato Thompson
February 8, 2022 at 6 p.m.
Online via Zoom
Passcode: 308365

“Under the Museum, Under the University, Under the City: The Land” Artist Roundtable
Wednesday, March 30 at 4 p.m.
Online | In-person at University College, UC 179

Fadi Masoud, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism and the Director of the Centre for Landscape Research at the Daniels Faculty recently published an edited volume and graphic atlas titled Terra-Sorta-Firma: Reclaiming the Littoral Gradient (Actar 2020).  

The book documents the global extent of reclaimed coastal lands and provides a framework for comparison across varying geographies, cultures, and histories. For centuries, cities have grown and expanded onto previously saturated grounds; “reclaiming” land from estuaries, marshes, mangroves, and seabeds. While these artificial coastlines are sites of tremendous real estate, civic, and infrastructural investments, they are also the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

The book has four parts that question urbanism’s political, economic, and physical relationship to littoral zones, areas that are in a permanent state of flux. Part one highlights the extent of the global sand trade and the methods of coastal land reclamation. Part two documents over 50 case studies of urban districts built on reclaimed land under the categories of “Claiming Territory”, “Geologic Necessity”, “Flamboyant Real-Estate", “Landscaped Brownfields” and "Blue Collar - Brown Water”. The third part is a sub-atlas of Chinese case studies - the world’s largest consumer of sand and where the majority of contemporary land reclamation projects are taking place. The final part includes essays by various scholars who are seeking to define and redefine cities' relationship to their littoral zones and to reconsider the design and construction of land itself along gradients of inundation.

A selection of case studies from the book can be found in the interactive The Littoral Gradient Atlas which showcases a range of coastal urban developments built on reclaimed land and how they change over time.  

The Daniels Faculty is celebrating the launch of the book with Fadi Masoud through an online book talk on Thursday, November 18 from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. which will feature some of the book’s contributors: Luna Khirfan (University of Waterloo, School of Planning), Xiaoxuan Lu (The University of Hong Kong, Division of Landscape Architecture), Ben Mendelsohn (Portland State University, Film and Digital Culture), Michael T. Wilson (RAND Corporation), moderated by Brent D. Ryan (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). 
 
Each contributor of the book represents the story of urban shoreline transformation in a different geography, from China to Singapore, and from Charlottetown to Lagos to Boston. Taken together, the event and the book aim to render visible the ubiquity and precarity of urban coastal reclamation in an age of increased environmental and economic indeterminacy. 
 

Purchase Terra-Sorta-Firma via ACTAR Publishing. Use code TERRASORTAFIRMA15 for a 15% discount 

Read research excerpts "The Littoral Gradient Atlas" and "Urban Districts on Reclaimed Land" on urbanNext. 

Learn more about the Terra-Sorta-Firma project through the Centre for Landscape Research. 

Explore the interactive Littoral Gradient Digital Atlas 

About the book 

Terra-Sorta-Firma: Developing the Littoral Gradient is a critical and interdisciplinary exploration of a continuously urbanizing and expanding littoral edge. The illustrated and edited volume documents urban waterfronts on “reclaimed” land and examines these pervasive environments through their dynamic past and uncertain future. For centuries, cities expanded onto previously saturated grounds; “reclaiming” land from estuaries, mangroves, and sea-beds. Today, the majority of global populations live along a continuously urbanizing and expanding coastline. While these artificial coastlines are sites of tremendous real-estate, civic, and infrastructural investments, they are also the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As such, this expansion's precarity is dramatically increased by the method in which it is constructed.  
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The book's four parts question urbanism’s political, economic, and physical relationship to land in a permanent state of flux. It challenges designers, developers, policymakers, engineers, and urbanists to reconsider the design and construction of land itself and to re-imagine this most fundamental of all infrastructures along gradients of inundation.  The project collects 50+ global sites that have been mapped with similar cartographic conventions to illustrate the global magnitude of reclaimed coastal lands while essays by various scholars provide a framework for comparison across varying geographies, cultures, and histories.  

About Fadi Masoud 

Fadi Masoud is an assistant professor of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism at the University of Toronto and the director of the Centre for Landscape Research. His research, teaching, and design work focuses on the relationships between environmental systems, design, and instrumental planning policy tools. Masoud currently leads research projects on climate adaptive urban and landscape design, novel resilient urban codes, and the future of metropolitan public open space. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Masoud held teaching and research appointments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was trained and practiced as a planner, landscape architect, and urban designer. Masoud currently sits on Waterfront Toronto’s Design Review Panel and is a member of the City of Toronto’s Urban Flooding Working Group. 

Media Inquiries:  
 
Sara Elhawash at sara.elhawash@daniels.utoronto.ca 

The Daniels Mural Project team is launching a week-long series of programming for Treaties Recognition Week from November 1  to 5. Treaties Recognition Week helps to honour the importance of treaties and increase awareness about treaty rights and treaty relationships. Please see the list of events below.

Graphic by Mariah Meawasige (@Makoose)

Monday, November 1

Treaties Recognition Week: Opening Ceremony 
7:44 a.m. Stantec Architecture Courtyard

Join us at 7:44 a.m. outside at the north façade patio of the Daniels Building (Stantec Architecture Courtyard) as we commence the start of Treaties Recognition Week with a sunrise ceremony led by Elder Whabagoon and a Jingledance by Robin Rice. 

Registration is not required 

Treaties Recognition Week: First Story Toronto Story Walk of University of Toronto St. George with Jon Johnson and Jill Carter 
1:00 p.m. online via Zoom

Much of the contemporary and historic relationships, injustices, and struggles related to Indigenous nations in Canada is rooted in treaties. Join Dr. Jon Johnson and Dr. Jill Carter, and others from First Story Toronto for a virtual walk and interactive discussion of places and stories that exemplify some of the historic and contemporary treaties of the Toronto area. Stories will focus on injustice, Indigenous resistance and resilience, and our collective ongoing treaty responsibilities with First Nations communities. 

Register 

Treaties Recognition Week: Canada By Treaty  
6:30 p.m. online via Zoom

Join James Bird and Dr. Heidi Bohaker and Nathan Tidridge as they discuss their travelling exhibition "Canada by Treaty," which explains Canada's history of treaty-making with Indigenous peoples. 

Register 

Tuesday, November 2

Treaties Recognition Week: Artist Talk with Que Rock 
6:30 p.m. online via Zoom

Join artist Que Rock for a discussion on his work, process, influences and mural at the Daniels Faculty and a Q&A with Carolyn Taylor, Project Manager at StreetARToronto at the City of Toronto.

Register

Wednesday, November 3   

Treaties Recognition Week: 'Anishinaabe 101' (including Treaties) with Perry McLeod-Shabogesic 
12:00 p.m. online via Zoom

Learn more about Anishinabe culture and traditions, including Treaties, with Perry McLeod-Shabogesic of the Crane Clan from N’biising First Nation. Truth before Reconciliation.

Registration is not required. Access via the link here.

Treaties Recognition Week: Film Screening “Trick or Treaty” by Alanis Obomsawin 
5:30 p.m. In-person screening

Join us for an in-person screening at the Daniels Faculty of Alanis Obomsawin’s seminal work “Trick or Treaty?” Co-presented with StreetART Toronto. 

Location:
1 Spadina Crescent
Main Hall - Section C (DA170)

Register

Friday, November 5

Treaties Recognition Week: Workshop with John Croutch “Reconciliation: Walking the Path of Indigenous Allyship”  
1:00 p.m. online via Zoom

What does it mean to be an ally to Indigenous peoples? And is it even possible to call yourself an ally or is it more correct to say that one can only aspire to be an ally as allyship is a continuous process of self-reflexivity, learning and acting in a way that decenters whiteness. These are some of the questions and issues that will be explored in this hour and a half presentation, Reconciliation: Walking the Path of Indigenous Allyship. 

Workshop space is limited. Please RSVP at events@daniels.utoronto.ca

Treaties Recognition Week: Closing Ceremony 
3:00 p.m. Stantec Architecture Courtyard

When you open a circle, you must come full circle and close the circle. This closing ceremony led by Elder Whabagoon concludes the our Treaties Recognition Week programming. Additional workshops and events will come throughout the month of November. Join us in saying Milgwetch to all.

Registration is not required.

Generously supported by Postsecondary Education Fund for Aboriginal Learners and StreetARToronto

Resources for the Daniels Faculty community 

We Are All Treaty People - Indigenous Education (utoronto.ca)  

About Treaties (Government of Ontario) 

Anishinabek Nation Educational Resources 

Toronto Area Treaties - The Indigenous History of Tkaronto - Research guides at University of Toronto 

Community Organizations 

LANDBACK is a movement that has existed for generations with a long legacy of organizing and sacrifice to get Indigenous Lands back into Indigenous hands. Currently, there are LANDBACK battles being fought all across Turtle Island, to the north and the South. 

The Ogimaa Mikana Project is an effort to restore Anishinaabemowin place-names to the streets, avenues, roads, paths, and trails of Gichi Kiiwenging (Toronto) - transforming a landscape that often obscures or makes invisible the presence of Indigenous peoples. Starting with a small section of Queen St., re-naming it Ogimaa Mikana (Leader's Trail) in tribute to all the strong women leaders of the Idle No More movement, the project hopes to expand throughout downtown and beyond. 

Anishnaabe painter Que Rock has been selected as the artist for the Daniels Mural Project by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design for its inaugural Indigenous installation. The selection was announced on Sept. 30, 2021 during an event commemorating Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Daniels Buildings' Stantec Architecture Courtyard, located at 1 Spadina Ave.. 

The temporary mural by Que Rock, who is a member of Nipissing First Nation, will honour the 215 children discovered at a residential school in Kamloops, B.C., and the unmarked graves that continue to be discovered across Turtle Island. Using the Daniels Building’s north façade as a canvas, the work depicts a sun on its left — representing the Seven Grandfather Teachings of humility, courage, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love — while its right features Grandmother Moon, representing the connection to Turtle Island, the water nation and Mother Earth. At the mural’s centre, children are carried by eagles to the spirit world; the eagles carry fish for the healing journey. 

“My goal is to portray the teachings of my ancestors, sacred geometry and Laws of Nature in all my art forms,” says Que Rock. The goal, for the Daniels Mural Project, “is a visual healing experience.” 

Que Rock describes his street art-inspired style as “making the woodlands dance.” In his large-scale art projects and canvas work — which include mural projects with StreetARTToronto (StART), a visual land acknowledgement at the St. Lawrence Centre of Arts and a medicine wheel-inspired work for the Toronto Transit Commission’s Ride Guide — the artist incorporates Anishnaabe teachings with a unique style that blends abstract forms with realism and expressionism.  

“The mural project is an important step in our continuous process towards collectively answering the calls of Truth and Reconciliation as a University, a Faculty and as individuals,” says Professor Juan Du, Dean of Daniels Faculty. “Que Rock’s artwork will be a visible reminder that every child matters, and that there is much work to be done in the path to healing. The Daniels Faculty seeks to promote dialogue and to generate better understanding of previously overlooked histories and cultures. We look forward to using the north façade of the Daniels Building as a platform for further education and programming this year.” 

The Daniels Mural Project is part of U of T’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, responding specifically to Call to Action no. 2, a strategy for the funding and placement of more Indigenous public art across all three campuses in close consultation with local Indigenous communities. It will be produced in partnership with the University of Toronto Post-Secondary Fund for Aboriginal Learners.

Proposals were received from an open call issued by the Daniels Faculty in collaboration with the Daniels Art Directive, a student-led art collective, and Elder Whabagoon, the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean. The submissions were reviewed by the Indigenous Advisory Panel — comprised of a group of Indigenous Daniels community members including James Bird, Melissa Deleary, Jaime Kearns, Robin Rice and Brenda Wastasecoot. 

“Indigenous artists do the hard work of bringing our stories to life to be shown and seen by the world,” says the Indigenous Advisory Panel’s Brenda Wastasecoot. “They tell our histories, our truths and speak to our wisdom and strength.” 

Visible day and night, the mural encourages community members to engage with the history of the land and Indigenous teachings. “We're thankful to connect with the stories and cultural knowledge shared by Que Rock, the Advisory Panel, Elder Whabagoon, and many more Indigenous community members,” says the Daniels Art Directive’s Michelle Ng. “As this project grows, we further commit to truth and reconciliation.” 

Press inquiries: sara.elhawash@daniels.utoronto.ca

The Call for Proposals is now open for the inaugural Indigenous mural project at the Daniels Building.  All interested artists are invited to complete the online form or fillable PDF by Friday August 13, 11:59 pm (EDT).  If you are submitting the PDF, please email: danielsartdirective@gmail.com. 

The collaborative process to create the mural is being organized by the Daniels Art Directive (DAD), a student-led art collective, with guidance from Elder Whabagoon, the First Peoples Leadership Advisor to the Dean, and supported by the Daniels Faculty’s Office of External Relations and Outreach. An Indigenous Advisory Panel will select the artist and guide the project team. Read the mural announcement here.

Interested and want to know more? Join the Informational Session on Tuesday, July 20, 1-2 pm. The meeting will be recorded and shared on the Daniels Mural Project webpage following the session.

Register for the Information Session on Tuesday, July 20

Learn more about the Daniels Mural Project: 
daniels.utoronto.ca/outreach/daniels-mural-project