09.02.26 - Daniels students receive SDGs@UofT Student Awards
Ambareen Fatima (BAAS 2026) and Usama Nasim (MArch 2026) are recipients of the SDGs@UofT Student Awards.
SDGs@UofT is dedicated to platforming, showcasing and implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. The student awards program supports high-quality research across a wide range of disciplines.
Ambareen Fatima, Supervisor: J. Alstan Jakubiec
"Performance-Based Design Guidelines for Biogenic Carbon in Ontario’s Low-Rise Housing"
This research develops performance-based design guidelines that integrate biogenic carbon accounting into building life-cycle assessments for low-rise residential construction in Toronto. Developed in collaboration with Isha Sharma and building on her previous thesis research, the project further examines how material choices, particularly mass timber, brick, and concrete, shape embodied carbon, construction waste, and long-term climate performance. Using life-cycle modeling and Ontario-specific material data, the research translates complex carbon accounting methods into accessible, compliance-ready metrics for architects and policymakers. The project aims to support circular design practices and inform building codes that align housing development with Ontario’s net-zero-by-2050 climate goals.
Usama Nasim, Supervisor: Karen Kubey
"Unjust Spaces: Exploring SDG Interdependencies Through Temporary Worker Housing in Ontario"
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program exposes migrant workers from developing countries to systemic abuse and exploitation. Their housing conditions in Ontario, frequently characterized by overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and surveillance, remain largely absent from planning, design, and sustainability discourse. My thesis explores how a human rights-based approach to housing design can play a critical role in synergizing efforts towards eradicating labor exploitation (SDG 8), reducing economic inequalities (SDG 10), and developing inclusive built environments (SDG 11). By situating migrant worker housing as a key site of SDG interdependence, the research advances design strategies promoting more just, safe, and inclusive living spaces for Ontario’s most vulnerable population.