Upcoming Events

In a world facing increasingly urgent and complex challenges, the need for responsible, innovative solutions has never been greater. This urgency extends to the very foundational infrastructure upon which our society is built — not just physical, but also social and organizational. Many of these essential systems have failed to keep pace with transformative technological, economic, demographic and social changes, creating a disconnect between our modern demands and existing infrastructure systems.

As shapers of the built environment, what is the role of the architect and architectural thinking in addressing these issues? What solutions emerge when viewing these disconnects through an architectural lens?

Come join the Ontario Association of Architects and the Toronto Society of Architects for a night of fast-paced, thought-provoking presentations as 11 teams — all selected projects and honourable mentions of the OAA’s SHIFT Challenge program — share their out-of-the-box solutions to a wide range of pressing infrastructure challenges. From railway corridors transformed into cycling highways to pragmatic approaches to housing affordability through zoning reform, intimate local projects to massive, paradigm-shifting transformations, come be inspired by ideas and provocations to make our communities better places for all of us.

After the talk be sure to join us for a mix and mingle with the teams behind these ideas! Light refreshments and appetizers will be available!

Speakers:

• Kelly Buffey & Aaron Finbow | Story Pod – Grassroots Transformation of Civic Space
• Zachary Colbert | Urban Energy Shift
• Naama Blonder | GO Bike
• Jaegap Chung | Multi-Tach: Addressing Housing Infrastructure
• Ryan Ollson | Rail to Trail London
• David Donnelly | Re-engaging the Defunct and Historic Welland Canals
• Sophie Mackey | Immigrant Landscapes: Architecture in the Age of Migration
• Martin Tite | Central Parkway Study
• Connie Lei | Revitalizing Suburbia
• Aidan Mitchelmore | The Counterpublic of Union Station
• J. Alejandro López | Stuff Cloud: A Smart Infrastructure for Buying, Selling, Sharing, Swapping & Remaking Things in Cities

Schedule

• Doors open at 6:30 PM
• Talk begins at 7:00 PM
• Mix and Mingle starting at 8:00 PM

This is a joint event between the Ontario Association of Architects and the Toronto Society of Architects.

This presentation is part of the OAA’s SHIFT Challenge Program.

OAA MEMBERS: When registering, please include your full name as registered with the OAA to ensure your certificate of participation is credited properly. Please also include an email address you check frequently to ensure you receive our certificate in a timely manner.

LIMITED CAPACITY: While tickets for this event are free, this venue has limited capacity. Only those with registered tickets can be guaranteed entrance. Entry at the door without a ticket will be SPACE PERMITTING only.