John Andrews, the Australian-born architect who chaired the University of Toronto’s Department of Architecture in the late 1960s and was responsible for some of Canada’s and U of T’s most iconic structures, has passed away at the age of 88. He died in Sydney, his city of birth, on March 24. 

It was a stroke of luck — and brilliance — that first brought Andrews to Canada. While he and American classmate Macy DuBois were still students in the post-professional program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, the young pair beat out hundreds of contenders to become one of the eight final teams vying to design Toronto’s New City Hall.  

Their proposal — a low-slung, waffle-textured building with a circular pool in the front and an undulating roof on top — ultimately lost out to Viljo Revell’s, but “it was considered an impressive performance,” recalls Professor Emeritus George Baird, former Dean of the Daniels Faculty (and one of Andrews’s later hires in the Architecture Department).  

The 1958 submission by then-students John H. Andrews and Macy DuBois for Toronto’s New City Hall featured an undulating roof and circular reflecting pool. (Photo by Panda Associates/City of Toronto Archives, Series 843, File 135)

On the strength of their performance, both Andrews and DuBois decided to stay on in Toronto, with the former eventually working on New City Hall as a staffer at John B. Parkin Associates, the local architects for the project. In the early 1960s, Andrews also joined U of T’s School of Architecture as a faculty member, teaching there for much of the rest of the decade.  

In 1967, when the School became a full-fledged Faculty comprising three departments (Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning), Andrews became the Department of Architecture’s first chairman under the new structure. As his own practice grew, however, his ability to provide “full-time political and design leadership to the school,” as Baird recalls, became limited, so he eventually stepped down in 1969. 

The architect had established his practice, John Andrews Associates, around the same time that he had joined U of T. The firm came to specialize in academic buildings, realizing well-regarded structures for the University of Guelph, Brock University and the University of Western Ontario. It also took on the task of developing the master plan for U of T’s new campus in Scarborough (with planner Michael Hugo-Brunt and landscape architect Michael Hough) and of designing its very first building.

A 1966 image of Scarborough College, described by Professor Emeritus Larry Wayne Richards as “one of Canada’s most important modern buildings.” (Photo courtesy University of Toronto Archives)

That building — UTSC’s sprawling Humanities and Science Wings, aka the Andrews or Scarborough College Building — was recognized as special almost immediately. When it was first opened to students in 1966, it wasn’t hailed by all, but it was championed by many critics and featured on magazine covers. It is now regarded as an exemplar of brutalist construction. 

The design, wrote Professor Emeritus Larry Wayne Richards, former Dean of the Daniels Faculty, in his 2019 Campus Guide to the University of Toronto: An Architectural Walking Tour, is “an astonishing essay in form, space and light.” Its importance, he added, is indisputable. 

“The fact remains that Scarborough College is one of Canada’s most important modern buildings, and it propelled Andrews into national and international spotlights,” wrote Richards. “Indeed, it can be argued that Scarborough College, along with Moshe Safdie’s Habitat structure for Expo 67 in Montreal, is one of the two iconic works of 20th-century Canadian architecture that continues to resonate internationally.” 

A few years after Scarborough College was completed, Andrews was enlisted to design what would become another Canadian landmark: the 553.3-metre-tall CN Tower, which remained the world’s tallest freestanding structure until 2007 and continues to dominate the Toronto skyline.  

Another career highlight saw Andrews return to his alma mater, the GSU at Harvard, to create much-acclaimed Gund Hall, completed in 1970. 

In his native land, to which Andrews eventually returned, he was remembered this week as “a giant of the Australian architectural fraternity and one of our first internationally recognized architects,” in the words of Tony Giannone, national president of the Australian Institute of Architects.  

That recognition, as Baird notes, first came in Toronto and especially at U of T, then translated into projects throughout North America. 

“It was a substantial career,” Prof. Baird says. “And his legacy at U of T is still being felt.” 

Banner image: Architect John Andrews, flanked by planner Michael Hugo-Brunt (on left) and landscape architect Michael Hough (at right), survey a model of their master plan for the University of Toronto’s then-new Scarborough campus. Andrews’s design of the campus’ first building — the sprawling Humanities and Science Wings — would come to be regarded as a brutalist masterpiece. (Photo by Jack Marshall Photography/University of Toronto Archives)  

After two years of pandemic-related restrictions, some welcome news for Daniels Faculty students who are planning to graduate this June.   

Subject to any changes in public health guidelines, the Faculty and the University have confirmed that Spring Convocation, scheduled for June 2 to 24 at Convocation Hall, will be held in person.  

The restoration applies to undergraduate students who have requested to graduate at that time, as well as graduate students who are being put forward this term. 

“I am thrilled,” says Dean Juan Du, “that this important moment for our academic community will once again be in person.”  

Further updates will be communicated through the University’s Office of Convocation as details become available. The last in-person convocation at U of T was held in 2019.  

Banner image: Graduate banners flutter at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall. (Photo by Diana Tyszko)

Observed every year on March 8, International Women’s Day has been marked for well over a century now, ever since the first IWD gathering was held in 1911. Intended to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, the day has also become a call to action for accelerating female equality. This year’s theme, Break the Bias, invokes a gender-equal world “free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination,” where “difference is valued and celebrated.” 

“International Women’s Day acts as a reminder,” says Dean Juan Du, “on how far we have progressed, and how much more we still need to achieve, toward the basic human right of equality in all genders. Misogyny and discrimination against women still exist in creative, scientific and professional fields, but today and every day is an opportunity to #BreakTheBias, both within our communities and around the world. With Daniels Faculty’s diverse community, we continue to contribute by educating future scientists, artists, architects, designers, city builders and world changers, while celebrating the individual uniqueness of various genders and identifications.” 

In honour of the occasion, four groundbreaking faculty members from the Daniels Faculty’s diverse divisions took the time to share what IWD means to them — and what more can be done to further women’s progress. 

Fiona Lim Tung 

Designer and educator Fiona Lim Tung received her Master of Architecture degree at Daniels Faculty, where she is now in her fourth year as Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream. Earlier this year, Lim Tung served as project supervisor for the Faculty’s winning contribution to Winter Stations 2022: a bright red student-designed pavilion conceived as a meditation on pandemic-era insularity. Her own research practice deals with issues of representation and feminism, while her design work focuses on the potentials that exist in the overlap between high- and low-tech fabrication methods in contemporary craft. Lim Tung’s projects have been widely featured in magazines, books and galleries. 

What have been some of your professional highlights this year? 

Winter Stations was a highlight. Working closely with the students to see them bring their design from sketch to built form, then seeing the public laughing and enjoying the pavilion, was a great and fulfilling experience. The entire team was amazing, but I would like to give a special acknowledgment on IWD to the female team members who overcame stereotypes that women don’t take part in construction. 

What are you working on personally? 

In my own work, I am presenting at a number of conferences about drawing as an act of resistance. It has been great to spend my days looking at images and thinking about how the way we draw can help to build a more equitable future. 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? 

International Women’s Day is so important, especially in a profession that has been historically male-dominated. The women who taught me, particularly those who were also BIPOC, were inspirational, opening the doors of what I thought possible. I hope to encourage the next generation in the same way. 

Jane Wolff 

Associate Professor Jane Wolff was educated as a documentary filmmaker and landscape architect at Harvard University. Her activist scholarship uses writing and drawing to decipher the web of relationships, processes and stories that shape today’s landscapes. Last year she had not one but two books published: Bay Lexicon (a field guide to the San Francisco Bay Area’s shoreline) and Landscape Citizenships (a 14-chapter survey, co-edited with Tim Waterman and Ed Wall, of “the growing body of thought and research in landscape democracy and landscape justice”). Currently on research leave, Wolf teaches in both the BAAS and MLA programs at Daniels Faculty. 

You published two books last year. What’s next on your research agenda? 

I was awarded an SSHRC Connection grant to fund the installation Toronto Landscape Observatory, co-curated by Susan Schwartzenberg, at the 2022 Toronto Biennial. I am now working toward the project’s opening on May 1. 

What do you like most about teaching? 

My favourite thing about teaching is that it’s a chance to keep learning. 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?  

In my calendar, every day is Women’s Day! 

Sally Krigstin 

Assistant Professor Sally Krigstin teaches in the Faculty’s various Forestry programs, and is the Coordinator of the Master in Forest Conservation program. Over the past several years, the wood and biomass materials expert has been instrumental in resurrecting one of U of T’s most unique academic troves: its so-called Empire Collection, an extensive collection of woods from across the former British Empire. “When the Faculty of Forestry moved from its longtime home at 45 St. George Street to the new Earth Sciences Building back in the 1990s,” she says, “the 3,000-plus-piece wood-sample collection was packed up in boxes and remained dormant for more than 25 years. With the help of a number of students, the collection has been organized and catalogued, and is now being actively used to teach students about the diversity and qualities of wood from around the world.” 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? 

To me, International Women’s Day supports women’s endeavours to be recognized as unique individuals whose contributions, large or small, are valued on their unique merits.   

Have you had to overcome stereotypes as a woman in your field? What are some of the best ways to combat them? 

Before joining the University, I worked in the pulp and paper industry, which has been and remains a male-dominated industry. During a performance review by a supervisor at my first job, he said to me, “Don’t ever let the industry or others change who you are.” In other words, don’t be tempted to take on the characteristics of your male counterparts; continue instead to think differently and behave differently. It was the best piece of career advice I received. 

What do you like most about teaching? 

Witnessing your students’ positive impacts on the world is your reward for being a teacher. 

Sukaina Kubba 

Sukaina Kubba is a new Sessional Lecturer in Visual Studies at Daniels Faculty, currently teaching undergraduate painting and printmaking. From 2013 to 2018, she was a lecturer and curator at the Glasgow School of Art, and is presently working on at least three art and research projects, including a multimedia study of Iranian rugs called an An Ancillary Travelogue. “I am interested in feminist theory and practice that comes from the experience and motivations of women in indigenous, colonial and queer contexts, as opposed to feminism imposed or applied from without,” she says. “Women’s liberation cannot be extricated from injustices of colonialism, capitalism and occupation.” 

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?  

This year, it is important to state solidarity with trans women and trans men who are facing new legal and academic challenges from powerful reactionary groups, especially in the U.K. and the U.S. 

Have you had to overcome stereotypes as a woman in your field? What are some of the best ways to combat them? 

I don’t believe there are many stereotypes per se for women to overcome in terms of practicing, studying or teaching in visual arts, but there are definitely class issues. As an educator, I wish to advocate for secondary and higher education in the arts to become much more accessible to students (of all genders) from less privileged backgrounds in terms of class and ethnicity.   

What do you like most about teaching? 

I value conversations with students about their motivations and ideas. Studio practice also allows a space for student collaboration and for forming a creative community.   

Their work co-designing a groundbreaking Indigenous wellness centre in the Northwest Territories has garnered Daniels Faculty architecture professor Mason White and lecturer and alumnus Kearon Roy Taylor a prestigious 2022 Architectural Education Award, which they share with Lola Sheppard of the University of Waterloo. 

White, who directs the Master of Architecture Post-Professional program at Daniels Faculty, is a co-founder with Sheppard of the Toronto design practice Lateral Office, where Roy Taylor is an associate partner.  

The collaborators have won a Faculty Design Award, one of the various Architectural Education Awards handed out annually by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in partnership with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). It is for their work on the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Centre — a soon-to-be-constructed wellness and cultural facility for Indigenous people in Canada’s North — that they’re being recognized. 

Earmarked for a prominent perch of Canadian Shield adjacent to Frame Lake in Yellowknife, the project as envisioned now began as a research studio at Daniels Faculty, where White first led efforts to define its program, siting and form. At the time, he met and talked extensively with Elders leading the initiative, visited possible locations for the centre, and developed an understanding of the key cultural priorities behind it.

The resulting design is a “de-institutionalized,” camp-like facility organized into three distinct yet unified glulam-spruce volumes “closely tuned to the environment, climate and ground conditions” of the setting. In accordance with the wishes of the Elders, no rock will be blasted or excavated to construct the complex, which will also include an outdoor fire circle, site-wide medicine gardens, and multiple connection points to surrounding trails and landmarks. 

Gallery: Construction of the award-winning Arctic Indigenous Wellness Centre, comprising three site-sensitive glulam-spruce volumes in a lakeside network of trails, gardens and amenities, is scheduled to begin in Yellowknife this year.

Fittingly, the Lateral Office team won the Faculty Design Award (which acknowledges work that, among other things, “centres the human experience”) in the Excellence in Community/Research category. All of the 2022 Architectural Education Award winners will be celebrated, on March 18 and 19, at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

The ACSA award isn’t the first prize bestowed on the project. This past fall, the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Centre was also recognized with a 2020-2021 Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction, taking Silver for the North America region at a ceremony in Venice, Italy. 

At the same presentation, held during the International Architecture Biennale, a team led by associate professor Aziza Chaouni of the Daniels Faculty won a Global Holcim Award, taking Bronze for a proposed music school and ecotourism centre in Morocco.

Called Joudour Sahara, the project prioritizes environmental and social sustainability through the programmatic overlapping of the music school, an eco-lodge and an anti-desertification testing ground. Among the complex’s defining features are courtyards that promote passive cooling and user collaboration, outdoor reed canopies that enable active use of the site during North Africa’s hot summers, and multi-use spaces (such as shared administrative facilities and an outdoor auditorium) that reduce the built footprint and maximize resources. 

Gallery: Prioritizing social and environmental sustainability, Morocco's Joudour Sahara Cultural Centre by Aziza Chaouni Projects is a music school, eco-lodge and anti-desertification testing ground in one.

Chaouni was born in Morocco and is the founder of Aziza Chaouni Projects, her multidisciplinary design firm based in Toronto and Fez. At Daniels Faculty, Chaouni leads the collaborative research platform Designing Ecological Tourism (DET), which investigates the challenges faced by ecotourism in the developing world.

Her win in Venice marks the second Global Holcim Award for Chaouni, whose practice won Gold in 2009. The 2020-2021 Bronze comes with $50,000 (U.S.), as does Lateral Office’s regional Silver. 

Banner images: From left to right in the first image, Daniels Faculty architecture professor Mason White poses with Holcim Foundation board member Kate Ascher and Jean Erasmus of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation during the presentation of the 2020-2021 Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction in Venice, Italy. Recipient of a Global Bronze, Daniels Faculty assistant professor Aziza Chaouni (left in the second image) talks with jury member Meisa Batayneh Maani after her win.