January 31 to February 1, 2025, the Canadian Architecture Students Association (CASA-ACÉA) and Becoming Architects Canada (BAC-DAC) will co-host CAFÉ Housing at Toronto Metropolitan University, bringing vital architecture conversations to the forefront. This event promises to be an important moment in the ongoing dialogue about architecture, education, and its impact on Canada’s housing future.
CASA-ACÉA is an independent, bilingual, non-profit, and student-led organization. Our mission is to connect and advocate for the community of architecture students across Canada by supporting, promoting, and profiling student success. BAC-DAC aims to strengthen the voice of and connect those on the path to architectural licensure in Canada in order to support, serve, and advocate for their professional growth.
CAFÉ Housing
CAFÉ Housing is a pivotal initiative as part of the Canadian Architecture Forums on Education (CAFÉ), an outreach project launched in 2019 to discuss and debate the role of architectural education and research in shaping Canada’s future. Building on prior CAFÉ’s focused on an architecture policy for Canada (2019-2020) and equity in architecture (2022), the upcoming event will gather students, interns, and professionals to engage in meaningful discussions on housing-related challenges and opportunities.
The CAFÉ series involves all 12 Canadian schools of architecture and their extended communities, making it a comprehensive and inclusive platform. Knowledge and ideas mobilized through these forums have informed the development of an architecture policy for Canada, enabling students, educators, and academic researchers to play crucial roles in shaping a policy framework with ambitious goals for sustainable and equitable community development.
Why CAFÉ Housing
Canada faces a significant housing crisis, with an estimated need for 5.8 million housing units by 2030 to restore overall housing affordability (IRPP, 2023). Declines in housing construction and market tenure present substantial challenges.
CAFÉ Housing aims to bridge this gap by empowering students and interns to take actionable positions and proposals based on their experiences.
CAFÉ Housing will feature presentations by students and professionals, roundtable discussions, open forums and exhibitions. It will bring together a multidisciplinary range of students, interns, and professional practitioners to facilitate a dynamic and diverse platform for discussion.
Contributing to CAFÉ Housing
Academic researchers and students from the 12 accredited University Architecture programs in Canada will be primary participants, with a commitment to including under-represented groups.
All architects, students, interns and faculty are invited to create and share your manifesto, articulating a vision, question or concerns about the future of architecture within the theme of Housing.
Additionally, your insight is valuable concerning the right to equal and accessible housing. Your participation in the Housing Survey will help to shape the upcoming conversation.
To ensure the success of the event we are requesting support through several sponsorship opportunities. Please consider contributing to increase your business’s presence, while supporting future architecture professionals across Canada.
Join us at Toronto Metropolitan University from January 31 to February 1, 2025, to be part of this transformative conversation.
For more information, visit CAFÉ Housing and CASA-ACÉA.
