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