12.01.26 - MArch students Dana Chehayeb and Li Xu recognized by Architizer A+Awards
Images courtesy of the Dana Chehayeb and Li Xu.
Dana Chehayeb and Li Xu, Master of Architecture students in the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, have received a special mention from Architizer A+Awards in the Vision for Housing (architectural concept) category.
Architizer empowers architects to create better buildings, cities and communities. Through its A+Awards — the largest global architecture awards of its kind — it recognizes excellence across 85 countries and reaches a global audience of 400M+.
The students’ collaborative project, The Urban Porch, was conceptualized for the ARC2014 comprehensive design studio (Winter 2025), led by Professor Brigitte Shim. Shim invited to students to investigate the relationship between housing and home, asking them to design from the outside / in while also considering the same project from the inside / out.
The Urban Porch introduces a central courtyard, accessed through intimate laneways that thread through street-front townhouses. Rather than dominating the site, the massing steps down to meet its context, emerging as a folded, low-rise block that blends into the surrounding fabric. Each unit opens not only to light and air, but to a shared life. This emphasis on shared space continues throughout the building, shaping both circulation and façade strategy.
The Urban Porch reimagines the corridor as a shared social space rather than a purely circulatory one. By tilting each apartment, trapezoidal areas emerge along the corridor, functioning as “front porches” that residents can appropriate for everyday use. This logic of personal identity within collectivity extends to the façade, where a mosaic of distinct apartment colors allows residents to recognize and identify with their home. The eastern public facade adopts a 2-layer strategy, where operable screens provide privacy while allowing residents to control the visibility of balcony color. In contrast to the vibrant courtyard elevation, the breathing facade establishes a warm, strong public presence toward the surrounding neighbourhood.
Together, the courtyard, corridor, and facade strategies reinforce the sense of belonging and community.
"One takeaway from Professor Shim's teachings is the notion of Architecture as a social condenser, where communal life is encouraged. Ultimately encouraging us to think about the social dimension of space," said Chehayeb. "We are deeply grateful for Professor Shim’s guidance and generosity throughout the Winter 2025 semester."
“This recognition would not have been possible without the effort Professor Shim devoted to pushing us to think more critically and to strengthen the project. We appreciate the opportunity to have learned under her instruction,” said Xu.
