On June 2, we celebrated the accomplishments of Daniels graduates as they take their next steps! From future designers shaping the built environment, to artists redefining contemporary visual culture, to stewards protecting and managing our forests, Daniels brings together five distinct disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary thinking and preparing professionals who will lead in their respective fields.

Fifteen graduates from our programs in architecture, forestry, landscape architecture, urban design, and visual studies, reflect on what drew them to their area of study, the experiences that shaped their time at the faculty and what comes next.

Kiana Rezvani Baghae
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Kiyarash Borna
Master of Urban Design (MUD)

Olivia Carson
Honours Bachelor of Arts, Architectural Studies (BAAS)

Dana Chehayeb
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Ben Dunn 
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Ram Espino
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Jeremiah Erhardt
Master of Forest Conservation (MFC)
    
Nour Essam Fahmy 
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Sammi Ku 
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Yukiko Kunimoto
Master of Urban Design (MUD)

Asha Mudie
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Usama Nasim
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Vito Park
Honours Bachelor of Arts, Visual Studies (BAVS)

Orly Sacke 
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Renee Xie
Honours Bachelor Arts, Architectural Studies (BAAS) 

Kiana Rezvani Baghae
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

I had previously studied environmental design for my undergraduate degree at OCAD University, with a minor in furniture design, where I was fascinated by how design and sustainability shape the ways people move through and experience the world. My transition into landscape architecture was driven by a curiosity on how we can create environments that elevate the human spirit and create opportunities for regeneration and reconnection with ecological systems through collaborative and strategic community-based designs. Through various projects in the MLA program and summer internship opportunities, I have been learning about the importance of preserving and revitalizing different ecologies and degraded ecosystems. I also began to understand that landscape architecture is rooted in the idea that land is never still or silent, and that it continuously holds memory, carries knowledge and shapes relationships.

I am continuously humbled by the support of my friends and professors, and I’ll be holding dear to all the joyful, peculiar and bizarre memories we created and experienced these past three years. Some of my fondest memories are of the field study courses and site visits, where we moved outside and transformed nature into our classroom, when we each engaged with the environment with a new lens, how we captured the qualities of the landscape in our sketchbooks and mutually learned from one another.

I now hope to put into practice the theories and design strategies we have been researching during our time in the MLA program and learn from the experience of practising landscape architects in the field. Further, I’d like to investigate the role of landscape literacy in empowering the generation to come, to recognize how others have planted before them and that it’s their turn to care for what comes next. Within this framework, I’d like to publish my illustrated narrative guide that unearths the stories beneath our feet, where landscape literacy through forensic ecology transforms passive users of a site into responsible protagonists of the land.

Kiyarash Borna
Master of Urban Design (MUD)

As an international student, my decision to join Daniels was driven by an innate curiosity for change, prompting me to question matters of agency and the spaces that make it possible. My growing interest in the relationship between architecture, urbanism and social dynamics shaped my research trajectory. My undergraduate studies in Türkiye, my first master’s degree focusing on Political Architecture in Denmark and ensuing research experiences exposed me to architecture as a multidisciplinary practice that shapes community dynamics and political expression. This exposure motivated me to pursue a program that emphasizes urban-scale thinking and interdisciplinary exploration. Over time, my motivations have evolved from a general curiosity about spatial scales and how spaces enable interaction to a more focused interest in how design can address the public realm and be involved in brief making as much as providing solutions. These interests span topics such as the role of data, urban circularity and community-building. My studies have expanded my perspective beyond individual buildings to broader urban systems, while equipping me with the critical and analytical tools to engage more meaningfully with the social responsibilities of architecture.

I found community at Daniels: students, alumni, and professors who have become close friends and collaborators. I will always look back at the late nights spent working in the building, fondly. The [Graduate Design Studio] filled with a ‘forest’ of physical models by the end of each semester became a reflection of our shared effort and progress.

In the immediate future, I plan to build on my graduate thesis by continuing my research on circularity and material reuse. Looking further ahead, I hope to establish a practice that brings together architecture and urbanism, allowing me to work across scales and contribute to more socially and environmentally responsive built environments. Along the way, I hope to build experience in the industry while keeping my research active through practice, with the possibility of pursuing further studies alongside my work.

Olivia Carson
Honours Bachelor of Arts, Architectural Studies (Design Specialist stream)

I wasn’t supposed to study architecture. I began my studies in the department of physics, with an interest in the body’s biophysical interactions with the world… Within the first few weeks of class, I realized what interested me was not necessarily the formulas on the blackboard, but the lecture hall itself—how architecture, through its form, materiality and affect, could inspire learning. In the following days, I decided to transfer to architecture to study these spatial interactions beyond the physical sciences.

As an architecture student at Daniels, I entered a world defined by excitement for the questions I was beginning to form. Over the course of my education here, these questions gradually developed into my current thesis work, which asks what becomes of architecture when it survives only in memory. What happens when architecture is no longer physically experienced by the body?

It’s a little funny—beyond my thesis work, my most influential moments and most fondly remembered times at Daniels mirror the event that inspired me to go here. I remember sitting in that dark lecture hall surrounded by my classmates, not knowing anything about architecture (but desperately wanting to) captivated not only by the buildings on the projector, but the way in which the professor spoke about them. The excitement that filled the room when an amazing project came on screen—I don’t think there’s anything like it. Peter Sealy’s architectural history/theory class—ARC251—was probably the most incredible series of lectures I’ve ever heard, and the reason I’m so interested in architectural theory. These are the moments that inspired me to pursue graduate architectural studies, and teaching beyond that.

This fall, I am starting my master of architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am. I hope to contribute to architecture through both teaching and research, encouraging forms of inquiry grounded equally in analytical rigor and spatial experience. I want to ask questions that haven’t been answered yet and hope to inspire future students to do the same, just as I was by my professors here at Daniels…. Maybe I don’t want to leave the lecture hall?

Dana Chehayeb
Master of Architecture (MArch)

As an aspiring architect, I am grateful to have completed the master’s program at Daniels. With the support of great faculty members, I was able to exceed my intended goals. My design project, alongside my peer Li Xu, was recognized internationally with a special mention in the 2025 Architizer A+ Awards. Coming out of this program, I feel well-rounded as a designer in my ability to design at various scales (from the urban to the architectural detail) and through various lenses (from the technical to the conceptual).

From my years at the Daniels, I will be taking away the feeling of community and belonging
that the class of 2026 fostered. I was met with generosity, kindness and encouragement that I am deeply grateful for. I am also honoured to have been elected, and to have served, as the 2025/26 president of GADSU, the Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union, where I supported the student body and worked along faculty members to address concerns. Also, in my role as a teaching assistant, I want to express gratitude to all my past students, it was a pleasure engaging with their work!

In the future, I hope to achieve an empathetic architectural practice in which respect to the land and its inhabitants is central. I hope to be an agent of change, to use architecture as a means to bring joy and dignity. Unfortunately, we are experiencing times where both values of sustainability and conviviality are regressing. I hope to stand against this current, and with many like-minded peers, hope to uphold values of acceptance and community.

Ben Dunn 
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

A major deciding factor for me in choosing Daniels was the quality of work I was seeing students produce and the impressive career trajectories that alumni have. Another big thing for me was an interest in the work Fadi Masoud was doing with the Centre for Landscape Research – all their projects looked so cool I knew I had to be a part of it! This degree gave me such a broad range of knowledge and skills that I feel completely equipped no matter where I end up!

Without a doubt I loved the studio culture here. Early in the program our professors told us we would learn much more from our peers than our instructors and at the time that made me upset. My instructors are the experts; what had I to learn from other students? But very quickly I understood how right they were, and I made it my mission to spend as much time in studio as possible as I could, to meet as many people as I could and to learn something from each of them. Unless I had a good reason not to be, I would spend every waking second in studio. I am going to miss that for sure.

For the time being I will continue doing research work through the summer, but come fall, I would love an opportunity to travel and work abroad for a couple of years! Perhaps the U.S., or the Netherlands… We will see… I have such a strong community of family and friends in Toronto though, so I see that being my home-base into the future. For the next 10 years, I want to get experience working at a great firm, but in 25 years I think I’d like to open my own firm with some of my friends from Daniels. Stay tuned!

Ram Espino
Master of Landscape Architechture (MLA)

Initially, I was hesitant to return to school. As a mature student who had just recently finished paying off my student loans, pursuing another degree felt like a significant risk. Looking back, however, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Coming from a background in architecture and several years of professional practice, I still remember chatting with Elise Shelley during my lunch break about the differences between architecture and landscape architecture, particularly the different layers that landscape architects need to consider. What would ultimately draw me to the Daniels MLA program was the opportunity to learn from and be mentored by a diverse and engaged faculty whose work spanned not just academia, but also professional practice, community engagement and public discourse. The opportunity to engage with them through critiques, conversations, lectures and mentorship was a major factor in my decision to return to school.

When I first entered the MLA program, I thought I would learn how to design parks. As my education progressed, I began to understand that landscape architecture is, first and foremost, about listening to the site. I came to see design as a process of collaboration within a place, its ecological systems, its histories, its communities, and the many human and non-human agents connected to it.

This education has taken me to incredible places and introduced me to so many remarkable people. Yet my favourite memories are not tied to a specific project or destination, but to the many conversations shared with classmates, colleagues and mentors. Whether living in Laguna Beach with fellow graduate students while conducting wildfire research or co-presenting at climate conferences focused on the Great Lakes, I have been fortunate to participate in countless discussions that have been humbling, rewarding and hopeful. These experiences have continually reminded me of how much there is to learn and how grateful I am to be part of such thoughtful and inspiring communities.

I feel especially grateful to have a dream job in landscape architecture waiting for me at the end of the summer. Ultimately, my goal is simple: I want to help create meaningful public spaces for the place I call home. I love Toronto so much and I am excited to explore bold ideas to address the complex and layered environmental and social challenges we face today.

Jeremiah Erhardt
Master of Forest Conservation (MFC)

The decision to apply for the MFC program is not one I made lightly. I had been working in the field of urban forestry for well over a decade and I was content with my professional accomplishments. I studied arboriculture at Olds College and urban forestry at Oregon State University. Yet I still desired to learn more and better understand trees and forests. I looked through programs across Canada and parts of Europe, and, after much contemplation, I felt that studying at U of T was the best fit for me. It was not a small decision to uproot my life and career in Alberta and take a leap east. My understanding and appreciation for forests and the people working to steward them was furthered throughout the program.

Reflecting on my time here renews my appreciation for the cohort. I continue to be grateful for the other students I was fortunate enough to be studying with. Their kindness and compassion are something I will carry with me. They have a special way of elevating those around them and it gives me hope for what good things may come. Their energy and enthusiasm are inspiring and I hope the whole class feels the time we spent together was like lightning in a bottle. I am humbled by their determination and awed by how we were able to forge such a strong community in a short time.

I am privileged to be working as an instructor in Alberta at Olds College in the School of Life Science and Business. Returning to an institution I had previously studied at and switching roles from student to instructor has been an intense experience. Much of my time at U of T has helped prepare me. I have gained new appreciation for the challenges of trying to foster and instill passion in others and I am still learning lessons in humility. I am optimistic that I will continue to have the opportunity to further the appreciation and connection that people have with trees and forests for years to come.

Nour Essam Fahmy 
Master of Architecture (MArch)

I was interested in architecture as a discipline that could engage questions extending beyond the building itself. I was drawn to the Daniels program’s emphasis on critical inquiry and design experimentation, as well as its willingness to position architecture in relation to larger cultural and urban conditions, while remaining deeply invested in form and space.

Over the course of my degree, my motivations evolved considerably. I entered the program primarily interested in form-making and spatial experience, but my studies gradually pushed me toward broader questions about the city, collective life and the cultural role of architecture today. I became increasingly interested in how architecture participates in larger social, political and economic conditions, and how buildings can shape civic experience without reducing themselves to pure image or spectacle.

The program consistently challenged assumptions. The studio environment encouraged rigorous debate, experimentation and constant re-evaluation. More than simply teaching me how to design, the program transformed the way I think about architecture’s relationship to the city and public life.

Some of the memories I’ll carry with me are the relationships and intellectual exchanges I developed with professors, critics and peers throughout the program. Many of the most meaningful moments emerged through conversations during desk critiques that often moved beyond the project itself and into larger discussions about architecture and design. Those exchanges fundamentally shaped the way I think and the references I continue to return to.

I’ll also remember the excitement that came with experimentation and the willingness within the studio environment to test unconventional ideas and push projects into unfamiliar territory. The program fostered a culture where curiosity, risk-taking and critical inquiry were deeply encouraged, making the design process continually engaging and rewarding.

A culmination of many of those experiences was my thesis project, The City Performs Itself, which brought together questions I had been exploring throughout my degree regarding form, geometry, public life, monumentality and the role of cultural architecture within the contemporary city. The discussions and critiques surrounding the project pushed me to think more critically about architecture’s relationship to civic space and collective experience.

More than anything, I’ll bring with me the constant challenge to exceed my own expectations and standards. Architecture school taught me that design is inseparable from questioning, re-evaluating, and refining ideas, and that mindset is something I’ll continue to value long after graduation.

In the immediate future, I hope to continue working within architecture while expanding many of the questions I began exploring during my thesis. I’m particularly interested in practices that engage architecture not only as construction, but also as a cultural and formal project capable of shaping how people encounter the city and one another.

I also hope to remain connected to academia in one way or another. While I may no longer be a student, I think architectural education creates an ongoing condition of learning, experimentation and critical reflection that continues well beyond the university itself. Academia offers a space to test ideas, engage new methodologies and modes of making, and remain in dialogue with evolving forms of architectural thought and practice.

Over time, I hope to contribute to work that balances formal ambition with public significance. I’m interested in architecture that is intellectually rigorous while remaining deeply engaged with collective life, whether through practice, research, or teaching. To me, both architecture and teaching involve continual experimentation: testing ideas, questioning assumptions and navigating uncertainty in pursuit of something not yet fully resolved. An ongoing process of refining ideas, remaining curious, and continuing to question how architecture can respond meaningfully to changing cultural and urban conditions.

Sammi Ku 
Master of Architecture (MArch)

I have always been drawn to architecture and visual arts, which first led me to pursue a degree in art history at U of T. I studied design, artmaking and the history of art and architecture. I was particularly inspired by a course which surveyed modern architecture from 1750 to the present, where I was exposed to the canons of architecture through the lens of a historian. In such close readings on architectural history, I wanted to participate in the architecture discourse and profession by projecting myself into the future as a designer. Coming into graduate school at Daniels, I was keen on getting into the culture of making and design and applying my research and analytical skills here.

My third year of studies here thoroughly aligns with the aspirations I had for architecture school when I began: filled with research, travelling for studio, and of course, endless model-making.

My thesis proposes a government-initiated data centre in the city of Zürich, and it is positioned within “the age of anti-architecture.” The project speculates a future condition by reframing digital infrastructure as an architectural problem and a civic concern at a global scale. I am interested in thinking about what buildings can provide back to people, and Adrian Phiffer was especially inspiring in that regard. Through him, I have learnt to characterize a kind of architecture that is honest and legible, presenting productive narratives that may sometimes be contestable. By advancing a provocative rethinking of what public architecture means, it reorients the definition of publicness beyond conventional public programs and physical access to include animated architecture, environmental impact and digital networks.

Vivian Lee’s graduate seminar on artificial intelligence was highly relevant as I was working through my thesis, thinking through the design opportunities for architects in digital networks and the unsettling uncertainties in pedagogy and practice.

I am particularly thankful for the academic and professional opportunities during my time here: to work as a research assistant for Anne-Marie Armstrong and a joint-school symposium on women in architecture, and to be a student and intern to Behnaz Assadi. I have been fortunate to learn and to work rigorously alongside her in school and in practice. 

I will be travelling to Switzerland to pursue professional practice. I will be exploring themes that I have developed during my time at Daniels and expanding my research inquiries through practice and experimentation.

Yukiko Kunimoto
Master of Urban Design (MUD)

As an international student, I was excited by the opportunity to study in Toronto, a city shaped by its cultural diversity and the many communities that define its urban life. I was drawn to the master of urban design at Daniels because of its interdisciplinary approach and the way it connects architecture, planning, landscape and urbanism. I was looking for a learning environment that encouraged critical thinking across disciplines, and the faculty exceeded those expectations.

Over the course of my degree, my perspective and goals evolved significantly. Shortly after beginning the program, I experienced a very difficult personal loss that changed the way I approached both my work and my future. During that period, the encouragement and kindness I received from my cohort and faculty became deeply meaningful to me and helped me continue moving forward.

My time at Daniels strengthened my interest in socially engaged urban design and reinforced the importance of empathy and cultural understanding within the built environment. It also made me reflect on how spaces of learning can foster connection across differences. Even when people come from different backgrounds or speak different languages, design becomes a way to communicate values, experiences and ideas. That realization has shaped the kind of work I hope to contribute to in the future.

The experiences shared outside the classroom: travelling together for studio coursework and exploring unfamiliar places became some of the most memorable parts of my time here. Those trips created opportunities to learn from one another in ways that extended beyond design education. What made those experiences especially meaningful was the diversity within our cohort. Many of us came from different parts of the world, and through shared meals, conversations and everyday moments, we learned about each other’s cultures, perspectives and personal histories. Those exchanges brought a strong sense of closeness among us and made the experience of studying at Daniels feel incredibly special.

I will also remember the mentorship and encouragement I received from professors and peers who pushed me to develop my own voice and perspective. Researching topics connected to migration, gender and placemaking became especially meaningful to me because it allowed me to connect academic work with personal and cultural experiences.

Beyond academics, I will always remember the energy of studio life, the late nights before reviews, spontaneous conversations in shared spaces and the collective creativity that came with making work together.

After graduation, I hope to continue working at the intersection of urban design, research and community empowerment. In the short term, I want to gain professional experience and continue learning through practice, collaboration and projects that focus on equitable and culturally responsive design. In the long term, I hope to work with NGOs and research organizations focused on gender and climate resilience in my home country. I am especially interested in how design and community-led approaches can support vulnerable populations facing environmental and social challenges.

Wherever my path leads, I hope my work remains grounded in empathy, cultural understanding and the belief that design can help create more inclusive and meaningful environments for people and communities.

Asha Mudie
Master of Architecture (MArch)

Coming from a background in technology, politics and philosophy, I was looking for a program in architecture that would allow me to remain as multidisciplinary as I wanted, while still offering a clear trajectory. What drew me to Daniels was in large part the different fields of study within the school as well as the opportunity to engage with the broader U of T community.

Over the course of my degree, my motivations have both remained and shifted. I’ve continued to value the ability to work across disciplines, but I’ve also become more focused on how architecture can engage more critically with larger systems and conditions shaping the built environment. The program has given me both the flexibility I was looking for and a clearer sense of direction in terms of the kinds of questions I want to continue pursuing beyond school.

The best memories of my time here are often attached to the travel I participated in. Through visits to places across Zanzibar, Germany, Morocco, and Japan, I was able to experience firsthand the buildings and urban contexts I had been studying. Closer to home, I’ll cherish my time as a Junior Fellow at Massey College, serving as vice president of the Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union and working as a research assistant on different projects.

Next, I'll be joining the Canadian Centre for Architecture as a curatorial intern. In the longer term, I see myself working through a range of mediums and scales, to explore how architecture is imagined and experienced.

Usama Nasim
Master of Architecture (MArch)

I was born and raised in Pakistan, and my first meaningful introduction to architecture came a decade ago through an architectural history course during the second year of my undergraduate studies in politics and economics. It had an immense influence on my academic trajectory as my projects and essays in nearly every course started to converge around a single theme: the built environment. We do not have professional programs in architecture at the graduate level in Pakistan, so I worked for five years in several extremely rewarding and socially impactful roles in human rights and international development.

When the time came to apply to graduate schools to broaden my horizons, I discovered that North American architecture programs also accept students without a formal background in the field. The easier, more comfortable path would have been to pursue a discipline more closely aligned with my professional experience, but there was a voice inside me that urged me to take a leap of faith and give architecture my best effort. I chose to follow that voice. It was the most daunting and difficult decision of my life, but it also turned out to be the most rewarding.

Over the past three years, I have learned and grown in ways I could not have imagined. From core design and spatial thinking skills to technological tools and a deep engagement with the history and theory of architecture, the learning curve has been immensely steep. I consider myself truly privileged to have been taught and mentored by many dedicated professors who did not view my lack of prior architectural background as a weakness but instead helped me transform my interdisciplinary academic training and diverse professional experiences into an asset. I found a home at the Architecture and Housing Justice Lab, where I was able to connect my human rights background with architectural design to advance housing justice.

My final year at Daniels has been my most rewarding, as I was able to draw on the lessons of my first two years to develop a research and design agenda focused on migrant worker housing. I worked closely with Claire Zimmerman to lay the groundwork for an interdisciplinary study tracing the genealogy of persistent dehumanizing housing practices from slavery to indenture, to contemporary parallels of both in Canada. In my thesis with adviser Karen Kubey, I documented current housing challenges faced by migrant farmworkers and proposed dignified housing solutions. I view this work with great pride as the culmination of a deeply enriching academic journey at Daniels—one that brought together my diverse intellectual and professional interests through the immense integrative potential of architecture.

For the next five years, I plan to gain professional experience in architectural practice while developing independent writing projects to share my research and learnings with the wider public. I will then return to academia to pursue a PhD in architecture and continue building bridges between architectural design and other disciplines.

Vito Park
Honours Bachelor of Arts, Visual Studies (Studio Specialist Stream) 

As an international student, I chose Daniels because U of T offered a unique path where I could pursue both music and visual studies within a research university. The program’s cross-disciplinary structure and flexible electives allowed knZach Blasowledge from other departments to enter directly into my artistic practice. I joined the Daniels with a clear purpose of building a transdisciplinary practice and the program helped me meet that goal while expanding its scope.

Some of the best moments I had throughout the program came from seeing my independent project with Prof. Charles Stankievech develop into an exhibition at the Trinity Square Video. Prof. Sue Lloyd’s studio course and Prof. Zach Blas's artist writing course stayed with me because they pushed me to approach artmaking not only as production but as a sustained process of thinking about how an artwork takes shape and develops its own voice.

I will continue my studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the coming years, I hope to grow as both an artist and a researcher, building a practice that spans institutions, academia and cross-field collaboration while contributing to conversations around art, technology, history and material experimentation.

Orly Sacke 
Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

I graduated from Daniels undergraduate architectural studies program in 2023. In pursuit of my graduate studies, I adopted the discipline of landscape architecture as a refuge. My initial attraction to large-scale systems thinking continues to drive me. Over the course of my degree, however, I began to recognize that the dynamism of the discipline is not only a challenge, but a privilege. Belonging to a discipline where the material realities and design output are in constant flux affords us as designers and scholars to continually refine, rework and remold our understanding of place. Betterment and the advancement of knowledge are intrinsic to landscape architecture as we experience climatic and ecological phenomena in real time, allowing us to make informed responses at varying scales. I will continue to engage these privileges fostered throughout my degree.

I feel most fortunate and inspired having worked with my professors and peers in research and teaching assistantships throughout my time at Daniels. Research work with Professor Jane Wolff taught me that it is within the purview of landscape architects to design the tools needed to understand and care for complicated places. From working with Professor Fadi Masoud at the Centre for Landscape Research, I gained confidence in advocating for resilient design in places diversely affected by the climate emergency. Working with Professor Danijela Puric-Mladenovic as an urban forest monitor, I understood fieldwork as a form of advocacy and community stewardship. I aspire to contribute further to this kind of work that empowers the public’s involvement in resilient futures.

Landscape architecture is an emotional practice, and my ambition resides in reconciling this with the technical expertise demanded by the profession. Having grown up in Toronto, I continue to be fascinated by the city as a collection of complicated landscape infrastructures: some lost, many misunderstood and most excluded from the purview of landscape architecture. In the span of my own life, I am a witness to substantive landscape change in our city. Transit expansion continually overhauls the way we move through. The conception of the ‘100-year storm’ has become especially meaningless given its frequency and intensity. As landscape architects gain momentum as city-builders. I am driven by ideas about expanding the discipline in a way that can begin to reconcile these tensions between the climate emergency and infrastructures that cannot accommodate its acceleration. I aspire to make these relationships legible to those outside of the discipline so that care and understanding for landscapes gains universality.

Renee Xie
Honours Bachelor Arts, Architectural Studies (Design Specialist stream)

My interest in architecture began during my childhood in rural China, particularly in Kaiping, Guangdong, home to one of China’s most cherished heritage sites. Although I was not initially certain that architecture was my passion, I was always drawn to fields that offered opportunities to learn from multiple disciplines at once.

During my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to experience a wide range of opportunities. One of the most memorable was a design-build course I took in the summer after my second year, where we worked alongside residents of Toronto's Ward's Island. Beyond the lessons I learned through the project itself, the experience led to an invaluable friendship that I likely would never have formed otherwise.

A year later, I had the pleasure of studying abroad in Berlin, Germany, with Professor Peter Sealy, exploring the intersection of analogue film and architecture, an experience that was generously supported by the school (yay). It was the first time I used a 35mm Bolex camera and a Super 8 film camera. To be honest, I was not particularly interested in analogue media before taking the course, but after working closely with these tools, I developed an enduring admiration for analogue methods of representation. Even after the course ended, I continued exploring darkroom techniques and film photography through a visual studies course on chemical photography, which allowed me to rent cameras and further develop these skills.

After returning from Germany, I co-coordinated the 2025 Daniels orientation alongside two friends, where we saw six months of planning come to fruition. We even won the University of Toronto Students' Union cheer-off for the second year in a row (yay)! Although this opportunity was never part of my undergraduate plans, I was grateful to work alongside such a supportive team and to receive mentorship from faculty members throughout the experience.

I am especially grateful to have completed my undergraduate thesis under the guidance of Professor Jeannie Kim, whom I will remember not only for the care she consistently brought to each of our projects, but also for her kindness and empathy in connecting with us as students.

Participating in the Hart House Spring Market, attending Daniels public events (allegedly for the charcuterie tables), and the occasions when therapy dogs were brought to campus, are some of my favourite memories beyond my academic experiences.

My next goal is to complete my master’s at Daniels, which I hope will contribute to my journey toward architectural licensure. While that remains my primary objective, I also welcome and embrace unexpected opportunities along the way. Hopefully, five years from now, I will have completed graduate school and will be back in Berlin, enjoying a döner.

Mason White, an award-winning scholar and designer, has been appointed dean of the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

A faculty member at Daniels since 2005, White is an expert in architecture, urban design and the relationship between architecture, environment and society – with a focus on cold climates.

He will assume his new role on July 1, 2026 for a five-year term. His appointment was approved Wednesday following an extensive international search. 

“Having taught here for 20 years already, it is an incredible honour to have the opportunity to support our students, faculty and staff as they pursue even greater heights,” said White. “I’m really excited for the challenge ahead and for the future of this faculty, which brings together a remarkable diversity of perspectives across disciplines and practices.”

White is renowned for his research, architecture and design work in cold environments and across scales – from individual buildings to entire cities and regions. A founding partner of Lateral Office, an interdisciplinary design practice, White often collaborates with Indigenous partners on community‑empowering research and design projects.

He has held several leadership roles at Daniels, including director of the master of architecture and master of urban design programs, as well as the post-professional master of architecture and master of landscape architecture programs.

Trevor Young, U of T’s vice‑president and provost, congratulated White on his appointment.

“Professor White’s commitment to research and practice excellence will be key to the continued success of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design in the years ahead,” said Young. 

“His scholarly vision and collaborative focus will guide Daniels students and faculty in exploring innovative ways to shape the spaces and experiences that enrich our lives, and in responding thoughtfully to social and environmental challenges.”

Young also thanked Professor Robert Levit for his exceptional service as acting dean since August 2023.

A Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, White has served as a primary investigator and collaborator on several major arts and tri‑council grants – with more than $2.4 million in funded research – and has lectured and exhibited extensively across the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. 

He is the founding editor of the journal Bracket, co-author of Many Norths: Spatial Practice in a Polar Territory, co-editor of Third Coast Atlas: Prelude to a Plan and has had his work and writing featured in major newspapers, magazines and journals.

With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Virginia Tech and Harvard University, respectively, White said Daniels’ evolution – from a school of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design to a faculty that also includes forestry and visual studies – puts it in a unique position to perform high-impact interdisciplinary work.

“There are powerful overlaps between disciplines that are all hosted under one roof here – literally,” said White, who has received multiple awards for his work – both personally and via Lateral Office.

“From realms like forestry and landscape architecture, whose connections are obvious, to less apparent – yet promising – links between urban design and visual studies, we can combine how these disciplines have traditionally worked while examining their shared interests.”

As dean, White said he is eager to strengthen relationships with Daniels alumni and foster new research partnerships at U of T and beyond – all while emphasizing collaboration, creativity and community engagement.

“We want to support and train design leaders who are collaborative and creative,” he said. “That means finding a balance between the technical skills that students need and the human, community‑facing leadership the world requires.”

Story by Rahul Kalvapalle republished from U of T News

Photo by Polina Teif

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

June 2, 1:30 p.m.

Your hard work and dedication have led you to this remarkable achievement at U of T. You are an inspiration to us all, and we can’t wait to see the great things you will accomplish next. Congratulations! 

The Art Museum is pleased to announce the online launch of the 2026 University of Toronto Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition! Every year, the Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition celebrates the diverse artistic excellence of undergraduate students enrolled in visual studies programs from across the University of Toronto’s three campuses.

This year's online showcase, guest curated by Dallas Fellini, Curator of Programs at Art Metropole, features artworks from 13 students, selected from dozens of applicants from across the University of Toronto’s Scarborough, Mississauga, and St. George campuses. Through diverse media, the works assembled here each pull on conceptual threads related to memory and perception, considering the ways that these phenomena can be mediated or distorted.

Congratulations to award recipients: Hafsa Murtaza, Mitsuko Noguchi, and Kiki Zhou. Awards were adjudicated by external juror Chiedza Pasipanodya, Executive Director of Xpace Cultural Centre.

Participating Daniels students: 

Cythial Edomwonyi, Threaded Memories
Architectural Studies

Aileen Kim, Beyond Play
Visual Studies

Alaya Le, Warm Plates
Visual Studies; Computer Science; Science, Technology, and Society

Sofia Lebovics, Holy, holy
Visual Studies

Award Winner — Mitsuko Noguchi, SISTERSISTER
Visual Studies

Amber Ramos, Weaving Transparencies
Visual Studies; Art History

Curatorial Statement

I am honoured to guest curate this year’s Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition. Celebrating the artistic excellence of undergraduate students enrolled in visual studies programs across the University of Toronto’s three campuses, this annual exhibition represents an opportunity for student artists to share their work within the context of an internationally renowned venue for contemporary art. I would like to send a heartfelt congratulations to the 13 students participating in this year’s exhibition, selected from dozens of applicants from across the three university campuses. Through diverse media, the works assembled here each pull on conceptual threads related to memory and perception, considering the ways that these phenomena can be mediated or distorted.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Art Museum staff, particularly Marianne Rellin, Micah Donovan, Barbara Fischer, and Noa Bronstein, for their collaboration in producing this exhibition. Thank you also to Kate Whiteway for her mentorship and support, to Hana Nikčević for her editing work, to Chiedza Pasipanodya for acting as this year’s guest juror, and to U of T faculty John Armstrong, Emmanuel Osahor, and Gareth Long.

– Dallas Fellini,
2026 Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition guest curator

Remarks from Daniels Associate Professor, Teaching Stream Barbara Fischer, Executive Director/Chief Curator of the Art Museum at U of T

It is my great pleasure to congratulate the three 2026 award winners, Mitsuko Noguchi, Hafsa Murtaza, and Kiki Zhou, as well as all of the artists selected to participate in the Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition this year, on their artistic achievements and thoughtful contributions to contemporary art.

For over a decade, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto has hosted the Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition, an annual celebration of the artistic excellence of undergraduate students in the Visual Arts programs at the University of Toronto. The exhibition brings together student artists from across all three of the University of Toronto’s campuses: St. George, UTSC, and the Art & Art History program jointly offered by UTM and Sheridan College.

This year’s Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition was juried by Chiedza Pasipanodya, Executive Director at Xpace Cultural Centre, and curated by Dallas Fellini, University of Toronto Visual Studies alumnus and Curator of Programs at Art Metropole. The exhibition came together with mentorship from Kate Whiteway, University of Toronto Visual Studies alumna and Assistant Curator at the Vega Foundation, and with support from faculty members John Armstrong, Emmanuel Osahor, and Gareth Long.

The Art Museum gratefully acknowledges the continued support of the Honourable David Peterson, former Chancellor of the University of Toronto, and his wife, the actress and writer Shelley Peterson, for whom the exhibition and award is named. For their support of the exhibition, we also thank the Office of the Vice-President & Provost.

View the 2026 University of Toronto Shelley Peterson Student Art Exhibition

All events are free and open to the public. No registration required.

End of Year Show 2025/26

A Daniels tradition encompassing a wide range of projects, this exhibition showcases student work from across our degree programs in architecture, forestry, landscape architecture, urban design, and visual studies. The models, drawings, graphics and videos displayed in the third floor studio at 1 Spadina Crescent, demonstrate our students' approaches to the objects and environments they imagine, create and nurture.

Opens May 23 (Doors Open Toronto) and closes June 3, 2026

Existing Futures: Teaching Experiments in Maintenance, Media and Urban Occupation

Exhibition talk: Sunday, May 24, 5:00 p.m.  in the Daniels Building Main Hall  |  Larry Wayne Richards Gallery hours extended Sunday, May 24 until 6:00 p.m.

Curated by
University of Tokyo Associate Professor of Architecture Yusuke Obuchi
Daniels 2025/26 Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design

The future does not emerge from the constant pursuit of the new, but from reimagining what already exists.

This exhibition in the Larry Wayne Richards Gallery brings together teaching experiments and student work from three courses Obuchi taught at Daniels: “Radical Maintenance,” “Analog Machine: I Am Here” and “Urban Nomad.” Through acts of observation, repair, reconstruction, and fabrication, these projects explore how architecture can emerge from unrealized potentials already present in our environments, materials, and social conditions.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design endowment.

MVS in Studio Art Graduating Student Exhibitions

Architecture + Design Gallery
Daniels Building, 1 Spadina Crescent (Map)

Opening reception: Thursday, April 30, 6:00—8:00 p.m.

The Art Museum at the University of Toronto, in partnership with the Daniels Faculty, is pleased to present the graduating projects of the 2026 Master of Visual Studies (MVS) in Studio Art graduate students: Helio Eudoro, Rita Ferrando, Pamila Matharu, and Cullen Ritchie. The exhibitions mark the culmination of years of rigorous research and studio practice, offering a first public look at new bodies of work by each graduating student artist.

Closes July 15, 2026

Helio Eudoro, Shrine, 2026. Assemblage (detail), 30″ x 28″ x 24″. Image courtesy of the artist; Rita Ferrando, Modern Nature, 2026. Film still, 1.33:1, colour. Image courtesy of the artist; Pamila Matharu, Untitled 2, 2025. Colour photograph, variable dimensions. Image courtesy of the artist; Cullen Ritchie, Half Mile, 2026. Video still, 16mm film print, digitized, 02:30 mins, looping. Image courtesy of the artist.

MVS in Curatorial Studies Graduating Student Exhibitions

Opening reception: Wednesday, May 6, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Little and Often traces how our relationships to land, material, and community are sustained within disturbed landscapes and conditions of precarity. Working with seeds, soils, mushrooms, and plants, the artists in this exhibition foreground resilience as a collective, relational practice, continually shifting under constraint. Little and Often is curated by Chloe Gordon-Chow and features works by Maureen Gruben, Rachel Crummey, Miguel Caba, Rana Nazzal Hamadeh, and Meech Boakye and Bhavika Sharma.

Curated by Gia Liapi, Blind Spot explores the potentials of finding new uses for the tools already in our hands. Through video, installation, performance, and software, artists Shadi Habib Allah, Shu Lea Cheang, Jeremy Laing, Lou Sheppard, and Iris Touliatou examine how legibility and classification produce value to open conversations about alternative architectures to learn from and with.

The exhibitions are produced as part of the requirements for the Master of Visual Studies (MVS) in Curatorial Studies at the Daniel Faculty. 

All images courtesy of the artists (Little and Often): Rana Nazzal Hamadeh, Something from there, 2020. Still from video, 07:00 mins, Arabic, English (with subtitles in English); Maureen Gruben, Nuna Aliannaittuq, 2025. Process photo; 4,800 clay beads, cotton thread (size varies). Photo by Kyra Kordoski; All images courtesy of the artists (Blind Spot): Shadi Habib Allah, Did You See Me This Time With Your Own Eyes?, 2018. Single-channel HD, 07:00 mins. Image courtesy of the artist and Sylvia Kouvali, London / Piraeus; Shu Leah Cheang, UTTER, 2023. 36-minute video loop. Image courtesy of the artist.

Photo of the graduate design studio at top of page by Alice Xue Photography

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Ever wondered what's inside 1 Spadina Crescent? Curious about the history of the revitalized neo-Gothic building at its centre? 

Whether you have always wanted to wander the halls or simply haven’t visited the Daniels Building in a while, there is something for everyone to discover during Doors Open Toronto 2026! 

Family-friendly

The Daniels Building welcomes visitors for public tours, May 23 & 24 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

The Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) will host a children's activity in our Commons (main floor atrium) on both days. Participants will be encouraged to think about buildings, landscapes and urban infrastructures through Building a Paper City.

Sunday lecture: What is Toronto's architectural identity?

TSA will also host a special discussion on the topic of Toronto's architectural identity, Sunday, May 24 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Daniels Building Main Hall. All welcome!

Student work showcase

While you're here, our End of Year Show 2025/26 will feature a wide range of projects produced in our architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, urban design and visual studies programs. The drawings, graphics, models and videos displayed throughout the Daniels Building demonstrate an exuberance for innovative digital and physical approaches to the objects and environments we imagine, create and nurture.

History 

Originally built as a prospect to the lake, the historic structure at 1 Spadina Crescent was the first site of Knox College in 1875, a military hospital during the First World War and the place where Connaught Laboratories manufactured insulin in the 1940s. Today, it’s home to the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto.

A striking contemporary addition, designed by NADAAA and completed in 2018, combines the Knox College structure with cutting-edge facilities, from versatile new studios to a digital fabrication lab.

Admission to the Daniels Building and to all Doors Open venues is free. A dedicated brochure with descriptions of events that are happening during Doors Open will be available for visitors.

Visit the Doors Open Toronto website for a full list of participating sites.

Wednesday, April 8 to Wednesday, April 29
Daniels Building
1 Spadina Crescent

Whether you're a future student, an alum or a member of the public with an interest in architecture, forestry, landscape architecture or urban design, you're invited to join the Daniels Faculty for Winter 2026 Reviews. 

Throughout April, students from across our undergraduate and graduate programs will present final projects to their instructors and guest critics from academia and the professional community. 

All reviews will take place in the Daniels Building at 1 Spadina Crescent from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (unless otherwise stated). Follow @uoftdaniels on Instagram and join the conversation using the hashtags #danielsreviews and #danielsreviews26. 

Please note that times and dates are subject to change. 

Current students should reference the Final Examinations & Reviews schedule for more information.

Wednesday, April 8  

Design + Engineering I (ARC112) | Undergraduate
Instructors: Jay Pooley & Mahsa Malek
Room: 200

Exploring Design Practices (ARC302) | Undergraduate
Instructor: Richard Sommer
Room: Main Hall 

Thursday, April 9  

Design Studio I: How to Design Almost Anything (JAV101) | Undergraduate
Coordinator: Petros Babasikas
Instructors: Anthony Kalimungabo, Mo Soroor, Reza Nik, Erica Kim, Scott Sorli, Harry Wei, Kara Verbeek, Katy Chey, Jeannie Kim
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B), 215, 230, 330 

Friday, April 10  

Drawing and Representation II (ARC200) | Undergraduate
Coordinator: Jeffrey Garcia
Instructors: Roberto Damiani, Nova Tayona
Room: 330

Design Studio II: How to Design Almost Nothing (ARC201) | Undergraduate
Coordinator: David Verbeek
Instructors: Francesco Valente-Gorjup, Daniel Briker, Anne-Marie Armstrong, Maria Denegri, Adrian Phiffer, Michael Piper, Anne Ma, Jay Pooley, Miles Gertler, Fiona Lim Tung
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B, 170C), 230, 215, 240, 2/F hallway

Monday, April 13

Architecture Studio IV (ARC362) | Undergraduate
Coordinator: Shane Williamson
Instructors: Chloe Town, Laura Miller
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B), 230

Technology Studio IV (ARC381) | Undergraduate  
Instructors: Paul Howard Harrison, Suzan Ibrahim
Room: 330

Tuesday, April 14

Design Studio 2 (LAN1012) | Graduate
Instructors: Behnaz Assadi, Liat Margolis
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B, 170C)

Comprehensive Studio III (ARC369) | Undergraduate  
Coordinator: Daniel Briker
Instructors: Mauricio Quiros Pacheco, Fiona Lim Tung
Rooms: 209, 215, 230
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Seminar (ARC491) | Undergraduate  
Instructor: Erica Kim
Room: 330

Wednesday, April 15

Architectural Design Studio 2 (ARC1012) | Graduate  
Instructors: Fiona Lim Tung (Coordinator), Shane Williamson, John Shnier, Behnaz Assadi, Mauricio Quiros Pacheco, Laura Miller
Indigenous advisor: PhD candidate James K. Bird
First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group: Amos Key Jr., Trina Moyan, Dorothy Peters
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B), 215, 230, 240, 330

Landscape Architecture Studio IV (ARC364) | Undergraduate   
Instructor: Peter North 
Room: 315

Undergraduate Thesis
ARC462

Senior Seminar in Design
Instructor: Jeannie Kim  
Room: 209
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 16

Comprehensive Studio (ARC2014) | Graduate 
Coordinators: James Macgillivray, Aleris Rodgers
Instructors: Maria Denegri, Jon Cummings, Steven Fong, Pina Petricone, Christopher Cornecelli, Carol Phillips
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B, 170C), 215, 230, 240

Design Studio 4 (LAN2014) | Graduate  
Instructors: Robert Wright, Francesco Martire, Todd Douglas
Room: 330

Friday, April 17

Comprehensive Studio (ARC2014) | Graduate 
Coordinators: James Macgillivray, Aleris Rodgers
Instructors: Maria Denegri, Jon Cummings, Steven Fong, Pina Petricone, Christopher Cornecelli, Carol Phillips
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B, 170C), 215, 230, 240

Design Studio 4 (LAN2014) | Graduate  
Instructors: Robert Wright, Francesco Martire, Todd Douglas
Room: 330

Monday, April 20

Urban Design Studio 2 (URD1012) | Graduate
Instructor: Nusrat Jahan Mim
Room: Main Hall (170A)

Selected Topics in Advanced Computer Applications (ARC3202) | Graduate
Instructor: Alstan Jakubiec
Room: Main Hall (170B)
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Selected Topics in Architecture (ARC365) | Undergraduate
Instructor: Adrian Phiffer
Room: Main Hall (170B, 170C)
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Graduate Thesis
LAN3017

Design Studio Thesis
Coordinator: Elise Shelley
Instructors: Behnaz Assadi, Liat Margolis, Francesco Martire, Fadi Masoud, Peter North, Robert Wright
Rooms: 209, 215, 230, 240, 242, 315, 330, 340

Tuesday, April 21

Advanced Topics in Architecture (ARC465) | Undergraduate
Instructor: Zachary Mollica
Room: Main Hall (170C)
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Graduate Thesis
LAN3017, URD2015

Design Studio Thesis
Coordinator: Elise Shelley
Instructors: Behnaz Assadi, Liat Margolis, Francesco Martire, Fadi Masoud, Peter North, Robert Wright
Rooms: 209, 215, 230, 240, 242, 315, 330, 340

Urban Design Studio Thesis
Coordinator: Mason White
Instructors: Michael Piper, Roberto Damiani, Nusrat Jahan Mim, Mariana Leguia Alegria, Angus Laurie, Simon Rabyniuk
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B)

Wednesday, April 22

Graduate Thesis
ARC3021

Almost Ordinary
Instructor: Michael Piper
Rooms: 209, 230, 240

Rehearsing the Parade: Ephemeral Architectures and Persuasion on the Move
Instructor: Miles Gertler
Room: Main Hall (170B), 330 

Public, Building, Forms
Instructor: Adrian Phiffer
Room: Main Hall (170A) 

Thursday, April 23

Graduate Thesis
ARC3021

Trading Places
Instructor: Jeannie Kim
Rooms: 330, 340

When the Impossible Happens
Instructor: Brian Boigon
Room: 230
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Archipelago Studio
Instructor: Petros Babasikas
Rooms: Main Hall (170B, 170C)

Public, Building, Forms
Instructor: Adrian Phiffer
Room: Main Hall (170A) 

Friday, April 24

Thesis II (ALA4022) | Post-Professional
Coordinator: Mason White
Instructors: Brady Peters, Robert Wright, Fiona Lim Tung, Nusrat Jahan Mim, Alstan Jakubiec, Brady Peters
Rooms: 209, 242, 2/F hallway

Graduate Thesis
ARC3021

Trading Places
Instructor: Jeannie Kim
Rooms: 230, 340

Architecture and the Right to Housing
Instructor: Karen Kubey
Rooms: Main Hall (170C), 215, 240

Design Technologies
Instructor: Humbi Song
Rooms: Main Hall (170A, 170B)

Bioregional Futures
Instructor: Sam Dufaux
Rooms: 330, Outdoor Courtyard

Monday, April 27

Undergraduate Thesis
ARC457, ARC462, ARC487

Senior Seminar in History and Theory
Instructor: Simon Rabyniuk
Room: Main Hall (170A, 170C)

Senior Seminar in Design
Instructor: Jeannie Kim  
Room: Main Hall (170B), 240 (a.m.), 242 (p.m.)

Senior Seminar in Technology
Instructor: Nicholas Hoban
Rooms: 230, 242 (a.m.)
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 28

Undergraduate Thesis
ARC457, ARC462, ARC487

Senior Seminar in History and Theory
Instructor: Simon Rabyniuk
Room: Main Hall (170A, 170C)

Senior Seminar in Design
Instructor: Jeannie Kim  
Rooms: Main Hall (170B), 209, 242 (p.m.), 330

Senior Seminar in Technology
Instructor: Nicholas Hoban
Room: 230, 242 (a.m.), 1/F Hallway
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29

Selected Topics in Architecture (ARC3703) | Graduate
Instructor: Laura Miller
Room: 330

Modeling and Fabrication in Design (ARC280) | Undergraduate
Instructor: Brady Peters
Room: 215, 230, 240, 2/F Hallway
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m

Design & Community-Engagement  Capstone Project (ARC492) | Undergraduate
Instructors: Michael Piper & Joshua Kirk
Room: Main Hall (170B, 170C)
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m

by Nina Haikara

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In recognition of his enduring influence on Canadian architecture and his professional legacy, Stevens was posthumously inducted into the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s College of Fellows.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Indigenous Task Force of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) states there are only 20 registered Indigenous architects in Canada. This number represents one-fifth of the 1 per cent of prasticing architects in the country.

“Within the Daniels student body, we have only ten Indigenous students out of more than 1,500,” says Trina Moyan, who is Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) from Frog Lake First Nation. “Because of the policies in the Indian Act, our Peoples have been made vulnerable and marginalized for generations. These ten students have lived through the impacts of that history. They have pushed through and fought hard to get here. BIRD – Building Indigenous Representation at Daniels – is about increasing future student enrolment.”

Launched in January as a six-month pilot, BIRD is supported by the University of Toronto’s Access Strategy and Partnerships Office and its Access Programs University Fund (APUF), dedicated to supporting U of T initiatives that reduce barriers to education.

“Creating a sense of familiarity and comfort within the Daniels environment and the university broadly will hopefully inspire Indigenous students to apply to these programs,” says Jewel Amoah, assistant dean of equity, diversity and inclusion at the Daniels faculty.

BIRD has been informed by consultations with internal U of T partners engaged in supporting access and outreach for Indigenous students, including the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, First Nations House and the Indigenous Recruitment Officer, as well as Indigenous students at Daniels, Greater Toronto Area school boards and local architecture firms engaged in projects with Indigenous communities.

"This broad collaboration in the design and implementation of BIRD reflects our intention to engage Indigenous voices with and in the Daniels community," says Robert Levit, acting dean of the faculty. "Our response to the Calls to Action begins with establishing access for Indigenous youth to Daniels and helping these young people to build relationships with the people and programs across our community."

Through grassroots outreach—including to the Indigenous knowledge‑centred Kapapamahchakwew (Wandering Spirit School) in Toronto, the Urban Indigenous Education Centre and the Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig (ENAGB) Indigenous Youth Agency—twenty urban youth are participating in this year’s pilot.

The program is coordinated by members of the Indigenous Students' Coalition at Daniels, Angel Levac (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory) and Shadrak Gobert (Frog Lake First Nation).

"Through my outreach for the program, I found that Indigenous youth are genuinely excited about what Daniels has to offer,” says Gobert. “What stood out most is that our young people are motivated, capable, and ready to lead and make change; they just need access to opportunity and a strong support system to help them thrive. Many simply weren't aware of the range of opportunities and programs that are available to them. BIRD aims to be a meaningful part of that journey to support their paths."

In addition to hands-on activities and visits to exhibitions, the students will visit community spaces on campus, such as Ziibiing and First Nations House. They will also learn about the different study options and careers, with an emphasis on programs offered at the Daniels faculty, including architecture, forestry, landscape architecture, urban design and visual studies.

Feedback from participants in the BIRD program will help to inform future access and outreach initiatives geared towards Indigenous youth, as well as intensify ongoing work to include Indigenous knowledge and history across the faculty's undergraduate and graduate programs.

“You can come here. You can learn, and through your Indigenous worldview you can shift and bend and change the way these professions are taught and practiced,” says Moyan, who, together with Elder Dorothy Peters and Amos Key Jr., form the First Peoples Leadership Advisory Group at the Daniels faculty.

Elder Dorthy is a Traditional Teacher, Community Nookmis, and a member of Jiima’aaganing (Seine River) First Nation. Key Jr. is a member of the Mohawk Nation and Traditional Faith Keeper of the Longhouse at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.

Grounded in community knowledge and relationships, the advisory group’s efforts and ongoing support of BIRD connect to the viewpoints shared by one of the world’s most prominent Indigenous architects, Douglas Cardinal. Born in Calgary to a father of Blackfoot heritage and a German/Métis mother, Cardinal serves as the decanal advisor on Indigenous knowledge at Daniels. Cardinal, who received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from U of T in 2022, identifies contemporary Indigenous architecture as an embodiment of six core Indigenous values and principles. Among these is the teaching that “when one plans for the future, one must plan for all life-givers for seven generations.” BIRD is now part of this generational planning, helping shape a future rooted in Indigenous knowledge.

“We're all here trying to do beautiful work that benefits all of life. This is a foundational teaching amongst First Peoples and is central within our code of ethics,” says Moyan. “We all need to be guided by those beautiful grandfather teachings of love, respect, truth, honesty, humility, bravery, and wisdom. These teachings should be the principles of design taught at Daniels. Having more Indigenous students studying at Daniels will help to make that happen.” 

BIRD also expands the Daniels faculty’s ongoing commitment to access and outreach.

Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag (NDG), meaning “flooded valley healing” in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), connects Indigenous youth with elders, mentors, and landscape architects through summer employment. Founded in 2018 by Elder Whabagoon, who is Ojibwe, sits with the Loon Clan, and formerly served as the faculty’s first Indigenous advisor, and by Liat Margolis, an associate professor of landscape architecture, the program blends land-based learning with design and community building. 

Now in its fifth year, Building Black Success Through Design (BBSD), led by Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream Joshua Kirk, is a free 12‑week mentoring program supporting Black high school students interested in architecture, art and design. Participants develop portfolio‑ready work while exploring creativity, cultural heritage while exploring theme of design for belonging through site-specific Toronto projects.

“Access and outreach programs help address the underrepresentation of Indigenous and Black students at the university,” says Amoah. “By naming these groups as priority communities, we’re able to put real resources and support behind increasing their representation as well as make sure our curriculum better reflects their experiences as well.”

Levac, who is enrolled in the critical practices stream of the visual studies specialist program, agrees, adding BIRD is the kind of program she wishes she'd had.

“As a first-generation student, navigating university programs, services, co-curriculars and choosing the right courses, felt daunting,” says Levac. “BIRD is a great launchpad for participants. We welcome all questions and curiosities about the Daniels faculty and U of T, with the goal of making students feel confident in their application and having a friendly face should they start school here one day.”

To help inspire that future, Levac shares an encouraging message:

"For Indigenous students reading this: You are smart and powerful and we need people like you to join our table of Indigenous teachers, students, leaders and changemakers. Dream big, then bigger.” 

Photo: January 17 launch event