Designed for high school students, our summer program provides a comprehensive introduction to architecture and explores different ways of seeing, thinking and making.

We offer two 2-week courses in both July and August 2026 for ages 14 to 18.

New this year is a a 2-week portfolio design course for ages 16-18 (graduating high school in 2026 or 2027), ideal for students interested in applying to university programs in architecture and visual studies.

Learn more and register

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Peter North and landscape architecture graduate Rebecca Martin (MLA 2025) of U of T's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design have been recognized by the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA). 

North, who joined Daniels in 2006, received the 2026 CSLA Teaching Award, recognizing an individual who has made substantial and enduring contributions to the advancement of landscape architecture education. North’s teaching, research, and design work considers the role of regenerative landscape technologies in contemporary landscape design, specifically within urban environments. He is a co-founder and partner in the award-winning North Design Office, with work ranging from site-specific art installations and private residences to urban public spaces. He is a graduate of U of T’s Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program and the Harvard Graduate School of Design master’s program.

Martin received 2026 CSLA Student Award of Excellence (thesis or practicum category) for her master of landscape architecture thesis, Opaque Ground: Reimagining Human-Soil Relations in the Lower Don. Her thesis was also recognized with an Award of Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The project proposes an urban soil survey, followed by the creation of experimental gardens in existing soil along a 10-kilometre trail in Toronto’s lower Don Valley sub-watershed. Martin's faculty adviser was Associate Professor Alissa North. 

“Congratulations to Pete North and Becky Martin, the 2026 national winners of top CSLA faculty and student awards,” says Elise Shelley, an associate professor and director of the MLA program at Daniels. “These achievements reflect the strength of teaching and research here at the Daniels MLA program and our role in advancing innovative, resilient ecological approaches to landscape architecture.”

Delia Pan (photo 1) and Devika Singh (photo 2) pictured with Timothy Chan, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives, their thesis supervisor Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Simon Rabyniuk, donor Peter Shannon Wilson, University Chief Librarian Larry P. Alford. Photo 3: The winners of the 2026 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize: Devika Singh, Delia Pan, Parmin Sedigh Tonekaboni, Alex Drotenko, Sabrina Isabelle McLennon and Lorraine Pan (all photos by Paul Terefenko). 

In today’s era of rapid technological advancement, with more information at our fingertips than ever before, it can be easy – and tempting – to fast-track the research process. For students who choose to dig deeper, the results can be surprising, enlightening and even groundbreaking. The Peter and Patricia Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize celebrates these exceptional students who use U of T’s libraries to unlock exciting new pathways of scholarship. 

Now in its 10th year, the Wilson Prize was established through the generosity of Peter and Patricia Shannon Wilson, whose endowment honours their family’s deep belief in education and a lifelong connection to U of T, its staff, and its libraries.

“Here at U of T, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of research excellence and academic achievement, not only in Canada, but globally,” said University Chief Librarian Larry P. Alford in his remarks at the event. “The Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize is a testament to this commitment, and it’s clear that this recognition leaves a lasting impact.” 

At this year’s awards ceremony on April 17th at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, six winners and their supporting instructors spoke about their winning projects, connected by one common thread: a shared commitment to critical and innovative thinking, supported by library research. 

This year, two fourth-year architectural studies students from Daniels received a Wilson Prize: Delia Pan and Devika Singh were both supported by Assistant Professor Simon Rabyniuk. 

Pan’s thesis project “Between Renewal and Memory: A Resident-Centered Framework for Taiwan’s Aging Housing” explored urban renewal, gentrification, and housing accessibility in Taipei. Pan started with broader search terms and targeted filters, which led her to a key article via ScienceDirect. She also explored U of T’s Chinese and Japanese-language holdings to deepen her area of scholarship: “I’m grateful that U of T’s collections include texts from diverse cultures and languages,” she says. “This multilingual approach allowed me to engage with Taiwanese and Japanese scholars’ perspectives directly, rather than through translated intermediaries." 

Pan will begin her master of architecture at Cornell University this September.

Singh’s winning project “A Choreography of Things: The Making of Indo-Caribbean Identity” is a micro-history of the Guianese bottom house - a covered ground-level area common to Guiana’s Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean communities.

Singh met with librarians, including Eberhard Zeidler Library’s head librarian Cathryn Copper, to explore subject-specific databases and tools for interdisciplinary research. “These one-on-one consultations reframed the library as a collaborative research community rather than a passive resource,” Singh says. She also conducted interviews with her Guyanese father as part of her research and used library resources like architecture drawings and colonial records to supplement his memories.

Singh will pursue further graduate study in architectural history at the Architectural Association (AA) School in London, U.K. 

Simon Rabyniuk, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize ceremony hosted by U of T Libraries at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (all photos by Paul Terefenko).

“The Wilson Prizes not only recognize extraordinary student work — they also highlight the guidance of faculty, librarians, and mentors who support students through every stage of the research process,” said Timothy Chan, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives in his remarks at the ceremony. “The generosity and vision of Peter and Patricia Shannon Wilson have opened doors for students to make meaningful contributions to academic life at U of T.”

Thanks to the support of the Wilsons, the mentorship of UTL librarians and the library’s vast repository of archival resources, collections and materials, this year’s Wilson Prize winners have developed the confidence, skills, and intellectual curiosity that will guide them through lifelong learning. After all, every great research journey begins with a question – and the library can be the key that unlocks the answer.

Read the full story by Alison Lang: A decade of discovery with the Wilson Research Prize

Photos by Paul Terefenko courtesy of U of T Libraries

Two projects from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design were selected by the Local Learning Studio's 2026 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Action global gallery. The work debuts at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku, Azerbaijan, May 17-22.

Launched in August 2025 by an international consortium of academics and professionals, the Local Learning Studio (LLS) is a collaborative action-research initiative designed to accelerate the localization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in built environment teaching, learning and research. LLS cycle 1 features over 60 built environment projects by educators, emerging voices (students and recent graduates) and communities representing more than 20 countries. The action-research initiative is designed to continue through 2030.

Balikbayan: Home Away From Home

Emerging Voice category 
Julia Buli-e (MArch 2025)
Thesis advisor: Assistant Professor Karen Kubey

"Balikbayan" housing celebrates cultural identity in Toronto’s Little Manila. Addressing unaffordable, inflexible housing for Filipino immigrants, it reimagines accessible homes, adapting the traditional compound into a mid-rise fostering belonging and community resilience.

Architecture and the Right to Housing

Educator category 
Assistant Professor Karen Kubey
Research Assistants: Cassandra Santaguida, Usama Nasim, Sofia Munera Mora, Dima Ghazal, and Kodi Ume-Unyido

The "Architecture and the Right to Housing" series convened public keynote lectures and private workshops in Mexico City, Toronto, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, New York, and Los Angeles.

First launched in 2023, the IDEAS Impact Award initiative is a collaborative endeavour of the three Daniels student unions, the Architectural and Visual Studies Student Union (AVSSU), the Forestry Graduate Student Association (FGSA) and the Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union (GALDSU). This peer-recognition award seeks to recognize Daniels students for their contributions towards advancing Inclusion, Decolonial work, Equity, Accessibility and Sustainability at Daniels or in external communities.

Nominations were reviewed by the Student Impact Award Committee, which was composed of representatives from AVSSU, FGSA, GALDSU and the Office of the Assistant Dean, Equity Diversity and Inclusion. The mandate of the selection committee is to help Daniels advance values of equity and inclusion by ensuring that the candidates selected meet or exceed the award criteria. 

In addition to the IDEAS Impact Fellows, this year’s process also included an IDEAS identity mark competition. The selected design, created by third-year BAAS student Ivan Tsang (Specialist in architectural studies, comprehensive stream).

The artist statement describing this design reflects is primarily intended to reflect simplicity:

"Inclusion" is made obvious with the merging of the i and the D. More subtle details include all letters being different fonts, yet occupying the same boundaries as the others. All letters are different, yet each is needed to create the logo; like how diversity is important in our community. The openness of the frames suggest that said boundaries are not exclusive and open to discussion, and the extrusion of the i signifies an encouragement to leave the confines of the social norms. The enclosing circle can be interpreted as a wholeness and continuity, and creates an orbit-design with the i’s dot, suggesting that its members, values, and institution exists in a constant relation to broader systems and context.
 

This year’s Impact Fellows join the 2023 inaugural cohort and carry the lifetime title of Impact Award Fellow and grow the network of students recognize by their peers as social impact advocates and change makers.

Meet the 2026 IDEAS Impact Fellows:

Ashneet Sachdeva

The selection committee was struck by the body of work submitted in Ashneet’s nomination package that reflected their commitment to designing housing community models that “make room for difference without requiring people to shrink themselves to fit.” Ashneet's commitment to designing and organizing systems that reduce barriers, expand choice and make dignity and belonging tangible”. Ashneedt’s IDEAS Impact recognition highlights the Contour and The Hive, two projects developed over the course of their MArch studies. The Contour, was a housing project Ashneet co-developed with student partner Malak Saeed. The project centred on single parents and caregivers whose lives are shaped by time poverty, safety concerns and limited supportive infrastructure. The project embedded equity "as a design driver through dignity and privacy."  Ashneet’s second project, The Hive was a design for a behavioural heath centre focused on adolescents and young adults. A key element in the design was choice – designing environments where people can decide what feels comfortable, rather than being forced into a single way of occupying space.

Minghan Wei

The selection committee notes that Minghan’s submission affirms the importance of architectural approaches that prioritize social justice, community agency and ethical responsibility and their continued commitment to using design as a tool for meaningful, long-term social impact. Minghan’s work embodies the spirit of the IDEAS Impact Awards and “represents the kind of architect the discipline urgently needs—"one who listens first, questions inherited systems, and designs with communities rather than for them. Minghan’s IDEAS Impact recognition highlights a project addressing postcolonial heritage and tropical modernism in Zanzibar City, through which they came to understand architectural design not simply as a technical or aesthetic practice, but as a deeply political and ethical act—one that can either reinforce existing inequalities or actively work to undo them.
 

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

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

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."

Story by Nina Haikara republished at the Defy Gravity campaign website 

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