The DesignTO Festival will be returning to Toronto to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

The festival, which will be taking place from January 24 to February 2, 2025, will feature over 100 free events, installations, tours, talks and exhibitions by more than 300 designers and artists.

“It’s incredible to see how much we’ve grown,” said Jeremy Vandermeij, executive director and co-founder of DesignTO. “We’ve welcomed over one million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, supported more than 6,500 artists, and generated $120 million in tourism spending. And there’s more to come!”

DesignTO supports a vision of design that is more than aesthetics, but that rather aims to be a tool for problem-solving, solution-building, organized change, experimenting, innovating and evolving toward a better future.

This year’s festival will put a spotlight on how design impacts joy, justice, and sustainability.

From immersive experiences that help the community slow down and reconnect to artworks addressing endangered creative practices, DesignTO will offer many ways to participate in the festival schedule.

The festival will kick off with an official launch party on January 24, which will feature a one-night-only installation by Toronto-based artist Asli Alin. It will also offer guests an opportunity to see ‘REVIVE,’ a DesignTO-curated group exhibition featuring the work of seven local and international artists and designers.

From January 1 to 31, 2025, there will be an exhibition of photos that explore ideas of the self through costuming by Toronto-based, Ghanaian-Nigerian photographer and visual artist Delali Cofie on five digital screens at Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge and Dundas Square).

The festival will also feature Studio Rat’s immersive inflatable installation and lighting concept quilted from reclaimed waste plastics at 55 St. Clair Avenue West, and a site-specific installation at the Mason Studio Cultural Hub that emphasizes sensory extremes.

Organized by DesignTO in partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects, ‘Ideas Forum: Labour in Architecture’ will take place virtually. It will feature five fast-paced presentations representing diverse organizational structures, including co-operative, union, and employee-owned. It will also feature a BIPOC Portfolio Collaboration hosted by Gensler, and an installation by Christopher Rouleau called “Amazon Sucks” that will take place at 918 Danforth Ave.

This year’s DesignTO festival will also feature a talk on sustainability, a design exhibition called “Dwell,” that will offer opportunities to slow down and connect in Union Station and Wind Up Radio’s video and sound installation/cautionary message from the Server Farms of Miscellanea at the Drake Hotel.

For more information and to view the full schedule, click here.

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The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) is presenting HOME: A Space of Sharing and Strength, an exhibition which will highlight recent acquisitions made by the NGC that explore the idea of home as a “powerful but fragile site.”

The exhibition, which opened earlier this month, will run until December 15, 2024.

Six artists will be featured in the show, including Sarah Anne Johnson based in Winnepeg; Jimmy Manning, Inuk, based in Kinngait [Cape Dorset]; Siwa Mgoboza, Hlubi, based in Cape Town; Curtis Talwst Santiago of Trinidadian heritage, based in Edmonton; Frank Shebageget, Anishinaabe, based in Ottawa; and Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, born in Botswana, and now based in The Hague. All six artists wil depict the global reach of art practices based in local and community concerns.

The 16 works on view include photography, sculptures, paintings and prints that were acquired by the National Gallery of Canada between 2020 and 2024.

HOME: A Space of Sharing and Strength suggests that home is “a place of respect, enriched through shared experiences, values and memories.”

“This show invites visitors to spend time and reflect on the meaning of home in today’s context and understand how it might have a different definition for different people. The artists we highlight express home in diverse ways, inspired by their own experiences and roots,” said Andrea Kunard, senior curator, photographs collection at the NGC. “This exhibition is also a unique occasion to discover in a shared space how NGC’s newest acquisitions reflect some of the most pressing concerns in contemporary artistic practice.” 

In this exhibition, the artists will showcase how communities resist destructive legacies of government agendas by means of embracing memories of both home and community. They also depict how home can be a “non-human, natural site” that is shared between species.

“This exhibition presents these newly acquired works together in dialogue with decolonial curatorial methods and dynamic critical art practices rooted in concepts of place making and belonging,” said Rachelle Dickenson, associate curator, Indigenous ways and decolonization at the NGC. “From Inuk, Anishinaabe, Canadian and Hlubi artists comes an assemblage of unique perspectives of the meaning of home, and we are pleased to bring well-deserved attention to these artists at the NGC.”

HOME: A Space of Sharing and Strength is supported by the Scotiabank Photography Program at the NGC and is the result of a curatorial collaboration between the NGC’s Contemporary Art, Indigenous Ways & Decolonization (IWD) and Photography curatorial departments represented by Kunard.

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Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank will receive 71,000 cans of food from the AED industry, thanks to donations from the 22nd edition of CANstruction Toronto, a competition which aims to raise awareness and support Toronto’s hunger gap.

Since 1999, Canstruction Toronto has been bringing together the local design community to create canned sculptures for a competition food-raiser that gives back to people struggling with hunger. Each year, unique structures are exhibited to the public in Toronto and are eventually deconstructed, brought back to the Daily Bread Food Bank and distributed to people in need over the summer months.

This year, a total of 21 teams from different architecture and engineering firms across the city put their creativity to the test by building sculptures using cans of shelf-stable food.

Each entry was judged by a jury of industry experts during the Awards Ceremony. Some of this year’s designs include an illuminated Care Bear structure and a Terminator skull. This year also marked the introduction of a new award category: Most Cans Used, in which the winning entry used 9,972 cans.

To date, Canstruction Toronto has donated over 1 million pounds of food to Daily Bread Food Bank. This year, 71,000 cans were used across all 21 designs.

The total weight of food collected this year was 83,590 lbs, which is up from 67,138 lbs last year and is equivalent to an increase of 25 per cent.

Below is the full list of winners.

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Best Meal Award
Core Architects Inc.

Can-necting the Hungry City, which used 5,208 cans, represents the journey the  community is taking to arrive at a place where all have reliable access to food.

Honourable Mention Award
Gensler Architecture & Design Canada Inc.

Cantunator used a total of 4,630 items. Like the Terminator reimagined, this project aimed to hold the promise to lead humanity into an age of prosperity and abundance. This sculpture also aims to be a symbol of the positive potential of AI to address global challenges, including hunger and food security.

Structural Ingenuity Award
Diamond Schmitt Architects

Using 5,332 items, Sharing Can Bear Care, uses the popular Care Bear brand, and represents the image of Care Bears as their food sculpture. The team borrowed the imagery of the Care bears and the associated values and lessons taught to children in the show: care, love, bravery, friendliness, and compassion.

Best Use of Labels Award
DIALOG

Using 3,215 cans, Global Fever aims to raise awareness of global warming by reimagining the blue planet turning red and forming the red bulb of a thermometer.

Best Original Design Award
LEA Consulting and CS&P Architects

This project, which used 4,896 cans, is called Just Keep Swimming, which serves as a commentary on food security and sustainability. The can-structed fish aims to showcase how a single can of food is bigger than one may initially think. Using tuna also aims to reflects on the depletion of the ocean’s resources.

Most Cans Award
Turner Fleischer Architects Inc.

SOS: Hunger Emergency used 9,972 cans and is a bottle adrift in the sea of food insecurity crashing onto the shore and shattering, aiming to represent a call for help from 1 in 10 Torontonians who rely on food banks.

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Engineering firm Smith + Andersen’s “Eco Jam” charity rock concert recently returned for its eighth edition at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto on April 25, 2024.

The event, which hosts bands from the engineering and architecture industry has always been centred around sustainability. The show is held each year during Earth Month to draw attention to the importance of sustainability to the construction industry in Canada, as well to the importance of preserving Canadian forests.

Since Eco Jam started in 2013, a total of 33,000 trees have been planted through direct donations to Forests Ontario.

The Eco Jam benefit rock concert highlights the musical talent hidden in the industry, as architecture, engineering, and construction leaders from across the Toronto area listen to their peers cover hits in a sold-out house.

This year’s concert sold out in just over a week and raised $60,000, surpassing the amount of $50,000 raised in 2023.

All of the proceeds from Eco Jam 2024 were donated to Forest Recovery Canada (a division of Forests Ontario). Donations from the event over the years including the latest edition have resulted in 45,000 trees being planted.

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The Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) will be hosting an event next month that will showcase the wide variety of career paths those with an architectural or related education can pursue.

The event, called Connect 2024, will take place on February 6, 2024, at the Centre for Social Innovation: Annex – Lounge, located at 720 Bathurst St. in Toronto.

The guests that will be featured have all formed their own unique paths, which range from traditional practice at all scales and specialities, to working for client groups, development, construction, and more.

“Whether you’re a current student, a young professional, or are just looking for a change in direction, this session is an excellent opportunity to better understand how your architectural education and experience might translate into a unique professional journey that reflects your specific interests and goals,” reads the TSA’s website.

The evening will provide attendees an opportunity to make connections, learn more about industry career possibilities, and hear stories and advice on career paths and finding a job.

The event will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The cost to attend is $15+HST for general admission and is free for TSA members.

For more information and to get tickets, click here.

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Four projects have been selected for the 25th edition of the International Garden Festival in Grand-Métis, Quebec, called The Ecology of Possibility.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Ève De Garie-Lamanque, artistic director, has invited designers to imagine the future of the garden. A total of 216 projects were submitted by designers from 30 countries.

The four gardens selected for the 2024 edition include the following.

Couleur Nature by Vanderveken, Architecture + Paysage | Saint-Lambert, Québec, Canada

Couleur Nature is a study into the roles gardens play in society. The installation strives to juxtapose two visions of the garden. It compares the great areas of utilitarian lawn and individual leisure devices with poor social and ecological indicators with contemplative gardens with high reflexive and ecological indicators. Additionally, it demonstrates the “absurdity of a dominant mono-culture.”

FUTURE DRIFTS  by Julia Lines Wilson | United States

In the first year of the festival, priority plant species were identified for habitat protection in the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan. Among these species was the Anticosti Aster, a cross between New York and Rush Asters. Despite habitat protection, the Anticosti and Rush Asters remain endangered species 25 years later. This garden poses the following as a question on the past and future: “If New York and Rush Asters crossed again, what would that look like? What possible futures can be sown by these species’ interactions?”

Rue Liereman / Organ Man Street by Pioniersplanters | Belgium

In densely populated and urbanized areas such as Flanders, the fraction of land occupied by domestic or private gardens is estimated to be 12 per cent which is equivalent to four times the total surface area of natural areas in the region. As a result, domestic gardens have the potential to help reduce the effects of climate change and stop the impoverishment of biodiversity as long as they are designed and maintained naturally.

Superstrata by mat-on | Italy

This year’s theme, The Ecology of Possibility emphasizes the value and interconnectedness of life forms and ecosystems. The garden proposal illustrates “the tension between nature’s freedom and humanity’s inclination to impose order” and uses a geological map as a metaphor. The installation highlights the co-creation of landscapes by human and non-human entities and showcases the interconnected nature of their interactions.

This year, three projects also received a special mention from the jury. They include Welcome, Yellow Bricks Garden, by Azzurra Brugiotti (Italy), En Équilibre, by Sonia and Natalia Dacko (Spain), and Aguas, by Jomarly Cruz Galarza and Virgen Berrios Torres (Puerto Rico).

This year’s jury included Ron Williams, architect and landscape architect AAPQ CSLA, FCSLA FRAIC, Jérôme Lapierre, architect OAQ, founder of Jérôme Lapierre Architecte, Marie Claude Massicotte, senior landscape architect AAPQ CSLA and member of the Festival’s board of directors, Alexander Reford, director of the Reford Gardens / International Garden Festival, Ève De Garie-Lamanque, artistic director of the International Garden Festival, and François Leblanc, technical coordinator of the International Garden Festival.

This year’s edition of the festival will take place from June 22 to October 6, 2024. In celebration of its 25th anniversary,  various projects including a symposium are on the agenda.

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Winter Stations, launched by RAW Design, Ferris + Associates and Curio in 2014, which is back for its 10th year, has revealed the four winning designs selected from hundreds of submissions.

The winning designs will be showcased alongside three student designs from Toronto Metropolitan University, Waterloo Department of Architecture and Guelph University as well as two designs from the Winter Stations Archive.

The competition aims to capture the imagination of designers, artists, and architects to create thought-provoking designs and will launch nine public art installations this season.

The lifeguard stands at Toronto Woodbine beach will once again transform as there are plans for six new stations along the east end beaches. Additionally, three stations, one 2024 winner and two from the Winter Stations Archives, will be displayed along Queen Street East at Woodbine Park, Kew Gardens, and Ivan Forest Gardens.

To celebrate its 10th milestone, this year’s theme is Resonance. Designers were challenged to go on a journey to reinvent, reimagine cherished installations from Winter Stations history.

“Over the past 10 years of Winter Stations, we’ve created incredible works of art that have moved people in incredibly meaningful ways during a season that can feel gloomy otherwise. We hope that the impact of bringing bright and joyful stations to Toronto’s east end continues to resonate,” said RAW Design Architect Dakota Wares-Tani.

The 2024 winning installations are set to launch on Family Day weekend and will be on display until the end of March with plans for more exhibits later in 2024 being sponsored and hosted by Northcrest Developments. Details will be announced in the late spring.

“Winter Stations is an incredible example of creating vibrant spaces through inspiring, interactive art. Aligned with our focus on sustainability and the intersection of creativity and play, we’re proud to be supporting this year’s work and providing a North York location for extended viewing of the winning designs by the public,” says Mitchell Marcus, Executive Director of Site Activation & Programing with Northcrest Developments.

This year’s competition is made possible by the sponsorship of RAW Design and Northcrest Developments along with CreateTO, Sali Tabacchi Branding & Design, Meevo Digital and Micro Pro Sienna.

The 2024 Winter Stations winners are:

We Caught A UFO! by Xavier Madden and Katja Banovic, Croatia and Australia

“We Caught a UFO!” builds upon the project “In the Belly of a Bear,” which used the lifeguard chair by lifting the public above ground into a cozy space, transporting them into a new world. This station reimagines these qualities by referencing the rumours and whispers of the many UFO sightings across Lake Ontario.

A KALEIDOSCOPIC ODYSSEY by Brander Architects Inc (Adam Brander, Nilesh P., Ingrid Garcia, Maryam Emadzadeh), Canada

A KALEIDOSCOPIC ODYSSEY invites viewers to step into an experience where they “challenge where reality ends and imagination begins.” Visitors will be able to explore the limitless depths of perception with this  adaptation of Kaleidoscope of the Senses, 2020.

Making Waves by Adria Maynard and Purvangi Patel, Canada

Making Waves is a whimsical piece of furniture that represents “the ways that simple actions can ripple outwards to ‘resonate’ across time and space, moving and impacting others in surprising ways.” The installation takes the form of an exaggerated couch and forms an unusual urban living room where neighbours can gather and sit by the water.

NIMBUS by David Stein, Canada

This station was inspired by the airy strands that make up the 2016 installation Floating Ropes. Nimbus’s playful shapes and colours evolve the concept and materials by adding  blue ropes hanging below a bubbly white structure. The station asks visitors to “consider the presence and absence of rain in our contemporary world by referencing both severe storms and flooding” as well as trends of lack of rain, drought, and desertification.

Bobbin’ by Max Perry, Jason Cai, Kenneth Siu, Simon Peiris, Yoon Hur, Angeline Reyes, Oluwatobiloba Babalola, Yiqing Liu, Kenyo Musa, Ali Hasan; University of Waterloo School of Architecture

Bobbin’ invites visitors to a place where moments and memories result in reflection. The seesaws draw from the playground-like Sling Swing and Lifeline projects and its form within the landscape reflects HotBox and Introspection. Each material has been sourced from previous student projects and salvaged materials from the community of Cambridge.

Nova by Jake Levy, Emily Lensin, Luca Castellan, and Nathaniel Barry; Toronto Metropolitan University – Department of Architectural Science

Nova is a star that has crashed on top of a lifeguard station and illuminates Woodbine Beach throughout the night. This station highlights TMU’s past decade of Winter Stations, inspired by the origami, materiality, and form of Snowcone, Lithoform, and S’Winter Station. Nova also introduces 3D printing, a textile canopy, and an elegant steel pipe connection to create a pavilion with “Resonance.”

WINTERACTION by University of Guelph – Department of Landscape Architecture (Afshin Ashari, Ali Ebadi, Jacob Farrish, Cameron Graham, Ngoc Huy Pham, Ramtin Shafaghati, Zackary Tammaro-Cater) and Ashari Architects (Amir Ashari, Sara Nazemi, Anahita Kazempour, Hakimeh Elahi, Yasaman Sirjani, Zahra Jafari)

WINTERACTION resonates with OneCanada and WE[AR] projects and is a dual installation in Iran and Canada that fosters solidarity and social interaction between the two nations. Visitors are invited on a journey through a labyrinth, which symbolizes a challenging quest and leads from “confusion to enlightenment, to reach inner peace.”

The two stations set to make their return from the Winter Stations Archives will be CONRAD by Novak Djogo and Daniel Joshua Vanderhorst and Delighthouse by Nick Green and Greig Pirrie.

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The Interior Design Show (IDS) is returning to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from January 18 to 24, 2024, for its 25th edition and will feature a seminar that will explore the future of collaboration, using the Ace Hotel as a case study.

The seminar, called Co-Creation — The Next Level of Collaboration, will feature Robert Cooper, CEO of Alterra and Brigitte Shim, of Shim-Sutcliffe.

Canada’s first Ace Hotel, which is located in Toronto, is a new building designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects and built by Alterra Construction Management Ltd. Other Ace Hotels around the world were all renovations of existing buildings that were later adapted to become hotels.

For Toronto’s Ace Hotel, both Alterra and Shim-Sutcliffe worked closely with Atelier Ace to realize a new building that felt like it had “always been there” and wanted to “build time into the spaces” within the hotel.

In this discussion, the speakers will delve into the potential of symbiotic collaboration between architects, designers, and developers, and how it can shape a compelling vision for the future. 

Additionally, Cooper and Shim will share how designing and building spaces is not a solo activity but a collaborative approach that involves working with others who possess various skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. Practical advice given in the seminar will include building a good team, trusting partners and leading by design.

At the beginning of their journey, Alterra and Shim-Sutcliffe visited and stayed at all the Ace Hotels around the world. Through this experience they learned that guests wanted to connect with the local arts and music scenes and the cultural community. 

From the custom-designed lighting and furniture that reflect the hotel’s character, to the process behind the building’s design, the speakers will extract key insights that inspire and propel the industry forward in the upcoming discussion.

The seminar will take place on Thursday, January 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

For more information, click here.

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An Indigenous-led exhibition presented by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, is currently on display.

The exhibition, called ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home, was originally organized by and premiered at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal.

ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home was co-curated by Joar Nango, Norway-based Sámi architect and artist, Taqralik Partridge, associate curator, Indigenous Art – Inuit Art Focus, Art Gallery of Ontario, Jocelyn Piirainen, associate curator, National Gallery of Canada and Rafico Ruiz, associate director of research at the CCA.

The exhibition highlights installations by Indigenous designers and artists and offers reflections on how Arctic Indigenous communities “engage with the land and establish empowered, self-determined spaces of home and belonging.”

Its accompanying publication, and programming, ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Towards Home aims to initiate long-term impact and foster new dialogues and perspectives on Northern Indigenous practices of designing and building that are not traditionally considered in architectural canons.

“Towards Home recognizes that architectural design in this country has been generally insensitive to Indigenous peoples’ traditions and cultures. Participating in this project, our Faculty hopes to broaden understandings and support our shared efforts towards fostering practices of land-based design,” said Jeannie Kim, associate professor at the Daniels Faculty and organizer of the Toronto exhibition.

Showcased works include Taqralik Partridge and Tiffany Shaw’s The Porch,Geronimo Inutiq’s I’m Calling Home, Nuna, an installation by asinnajaq in conversation with Tiffany Shaw and Offernat (Votive Night) by Carola Grahn and Ingemar Israelsson.

The exhibition also facilitated the Futurecasting: Indigenous-led Architecture and Design in the Arctic workshop, which brings together nine emerging architectural designers and duojars (craftspeople) to discuss the future of design on Indigenous lands across Sapmi and Turtle Island. This workshop was co-curated by Ella den Elzen and Nicole Luke.

Contributors to the exhibition include asinnajaq, Carola Grahn and Ingemar Israelsson, Geronimo Inutiq, Joar Nango, Taqralik Partridge, and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory. The original exhibition design was by Tiffany Shaw of Edmonton, with graphic design by FEED, Montreal.

The exhition will be on display until March 22, 2024, in the Architecture and Design Gallery, located at 1 Spadina Crescent in Toronto.

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The Toronto Society of Architects’ (TSA) has issued a call for submissions for their fourth annual Gingerbread City event, which aims to bring together architects and designers to create unique edible creations.

This year, Gingerbread City will once again be a hybrid program, with both a virtual showcase on the website and a small in-person display at the Maker Bean Café located at 1052 Bloor St West in Toronto.

Gingerbread City is open to all and is free to enter. Whether submitting individually or with a team, the TSA invites everyone to participate in this year’s festivities.

For Gingerbread City, the TSA asks that all visible elements in the creations are edible. For in-person displays, they also ask that participants keep their creations’ bases to no larger than 2’x2’.

There is limited space for the in-person display, so submissions will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. As a result, those interested in participating are advised to register in advance. Participants will receive confirmation from the TSA team if their submission is able to be displayed in-person.

These submissions will need to be dropped off on December 12, 2023, between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Maker Bean Café. Those unable to drop off their gingerbread structures that day should email tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca.

Those who would also like their creation featured in the virtual showcase, in addition to in-person, should follow these instructions.

Registration is required by December 4, 2023, for those who wish to display in the storefront, and all digital submissions will be required by December 12.

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Winter Stations recently launched its 10th annual design competition and is calling on local and international designers to reimagine installations from the past to celebrate the milestone.

Winter Stations was launched in 2014 by RAW Architects, Ferris + Associates and Curio to challenge local and international designers to transform the utilitarian lifeguard stations along Toronto’s beaches into works of public art. The competition, which attracts more than 8,000 visitors each year, has seen entries from more than 90 countries.

The theme chosen for the 2024 edition is “Resonance,” in celebration of the 10-year milestone. Meant to “celebrate a decade of resonating with hearts and minds,” the theme aims to capture the artistic legacy and impact of Winter Stations while inviting the community to reflect on past installations.

“We are excited to be launching the 10th annual Winter Stations competition and bringing a milestone opportunity to showcase artists from around the world here in Toronto,” said RAW Design, architect Dakota Wares-Tani. “The theme for this year’s competition invites a reflection into the 10 years of Winter Stations and the impact a public art program can have. We encourage anyone interested to submit their design before December 1st.”

The event will take place outdoors in the expanse of the beach with designs that may be experienced up close, from afar, in person and virtually.

All 2024 installations will be temporarily built for six weeks and must be able to withstand Toronto’s winter weather. Installations will be unveiled on Family Day Weekend in Canada (February 19, 2024) and will be available for viewing until March 31, 2024.

Registrations are now open for the competition with the deadline for submissions on December 1, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners will be announced early January. There is no fee to enter the competition which welcomes entries from all around the world. The winning teams will be rewarded $2,000 (CAD).

Designers are  encouraged to visit the archive and choose a previous installation as a source to inspire their designs.

For more information, click here.

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The gracious Spanish hospitality and beautiful backdrop that is València were once again the settings for the 2023 editions of Feria Hábitat València and Home Textiles Premium by Textilhogar.

This year’s edition took place in the eight halls at Feria Valencia across 96,000 square metres of commercial exhibition space. The exhibition featured a total of 881 international companies and brands and welcomed 45,026 visitors over the course of the four-day event.

This year, visitors came from 80 countries, including Portugal, France, Italy, the U.S., Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Morocco, Nigeria, the U.K., Russia and Ukraine.

From the thoughtful incorporation of sustainable materials to items with unique backstories, this year’s edition of Feria Hábitat in València, Spain, featured over 800 exhibitors and thousands of industry professionals and interior design afficionados that gathered to see the latest designs throughout the course of the four-day event.

Here are a few products that stood out.

Bold by Studiopepe | Sancal

This new collection, designed by Studiopepe, features bold, extra large dimensions (hence the name) and aims to create fluid transitions in interior spaces. According to Sancal’s website, the irregular outlines in this sculptural piece “pay homage to the charismatic and casual Memphis style.” This piece comes in a variety of tones which can add a pop of colour to an otherwise neutral-coloured space.

Gatsby Doble Base Table | Vondom

Vondom, known for its outdoor furniture selection, showcased their new Gatsby collection at this year’s event, which includes the doble base dining table, designed by Ramón Esteve and recalls Art Déco lighting. Meant to be reminiscent of the roaring ‘20s (given the name and its backstory), this collection aims to represent the classic American novel’s iconic mention of “the American Dream.” This table can be a great option for hosting outdoor events since it can accomodate multiple seats.

Boom Sofa | Plust

While other items from this collection have already been introduced, the Boom sofa made its debut this year. The sofa features a curved shape that provides a modern look and is part of the collection designed by Marco Gregori. While the Boom collection was launched in 2022, the sofa and coffee table were new additions showcased at the fair. The products in this collection feature designs meant to encourage socialization and conviviality and are made with plastic mixtures. The pieces can also be illuminated from within.

Cutout Table | Siru

From the bold colours and unique designs and shapes, Siru’s booth featured an array of interesting products from their new Cutout collection. This collection uses the art of cutting out metal sheeting, which is held together by a light, tubular structure. The shelves provide a unique storage solution making it a great option as a console table. Since it also comes in a variety of colours, it also makes for a great decorative piece that adds a pop of colour in a living room.

TELFS Side Table | Vical

This new contemporary side table, called the TELFS Mesa Auxiliar (which translates to side table) is artisanal-made which ensures each piece is unique. Made from concrete, this table in a grey hue makes it a versatile addition to various indoor spaces. Serving as either a decorative addition beside a couch or in a corner to accentuate home décor pieces, the options for styling this minimalist table are endless.

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Design Week, a biennial event organized by the Design Council of Saskatchewan is set to return later this month.

The event, which provides attendees the opportunity to learn about different areas of design through a series of free lectures and other educational events, will take place from November 17 to 24, 2023, and is open to the general public.

Design Week this year will kick off with a special free screening of Design Canada in both Saskatoon and Regina with a launch party following on November 18.

The schedule includes tours of Fire Station 5, a contemporary historic build home and Canpotex in Saskatoon along with tours of the Regina Humane Society and Conexus in Regina. Speakers throughout the week will include Heather Dubbeldam, Janet Rosenberg and Amanda Hamilton.

Design Week also includes the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design which recognizes the design being done in Saskatchewan. Entries for this competition are displayed to the public and awards are handed out at an evening gala at the end of Design Week.

Categories for the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design include architecture, engineering and geoscience, graphic design, interior design, landscape architecture, planning, and integrated design. A jury made up of one representative from each member association, which may include invited guests from the Design Week Speakers Series, will evaluate entries on criteria appropriate to each category.

The Design Council of Saskatchewan is a volunteer organization formed in 1983 and a collective voice of six provincial associations that represent design professionals working in architecture, planning, engineering and geoscience, graphic design, interior design and landscape architecture. The organization was established to celebrate and promote awareness and understanding of professional design in Saskatchewan.

To see the full schedule for Design Week, click here.

For more information on the awards, click here.

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The Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) is issuing a call for presenters for their 2024 Banff Session event.

The event, which has been hosted every two years since 1956, brings together more than 400 architects, interior designers, academics, and students to the Rocky Mountains of Alberta to network, learn, and advance their professions.

Banff Session 2024 will take place on May 10 and 11, 2024, at the historic Fairmont Banff Springs hotel and will mark a return to a fully in-person experience.

Unlike past sessions, the AAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will not be taking place in concurrence with this event. This year, the AGM will be taking place virtually on May 30, 2024.

Those interested in being presenters are invited to submit a proposal to provide a professional development session for the 2024 conference. Applications will be accepted until December 4, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. and all applicants will be contacted no later than January 15, 2024.

“Banff Session 2024 will explore the significance of rebuilding and the myriad ways our registrants and other industry professionals take part in reshaping the world. We will explore resilience and how we can rebuild our environments in the wake of extreme climate events and natural disasters,” reads the AAA’s website.

“We will consider reconciliation and how the design professions can rebuild relationships and work towards diversity, equity and inclusion. We will examine relevance and how we can continue to evolve the professions of registered architecture and licensed interior design while adapting to an ever-changing world. We will look at how we can rebuild current structures using green building technologies to reduce environmental impact.”

A special room rate has been secured for the attendees and will be made available when event registration opens.

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The fifth annual BEAT Forum, which will take place on November 4, 2023, at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), will focus on construction site behaviours and dynamics.

BEAT is a volunteer-run organization that consists of architects, designers, leaders, and entrepreneurs who create opportunities for community-building, advocacy, networking, and mentorship. These annual forums are dedicated to exploring questions related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), led by experts in the EDI field and within the design, architecture, and construction profession.

The upcoming forum will be geared toward those who work at or visit construction sites, including architects, clients, contractors, trades, and consultants. It will also explore different perspectives on how to create a collaborative and productive work environment for all stakeholders throughout the construction process.

The forum will be divided into two parts; a panel discussion in the morning and a workshop in the afternoon after lunch.

The morning will kick off with a panel discussion that will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. It will feature short presentations from panelists followed by a moderated discussion and question period. The panelists will offer insight from the perspectives of practice, advocacy, and policy-making.

The panel will feature experts from the architecture and construction industry including Jennifer Hancock, vice president of collaborative construction, Chandos Construction, Carol Philips, partner, Moriyama Teshima Architects, Lisa Laronde, president at RSG International, Canadian Association of Women in Construction and Gayle Meeks, associate/technical director, Perkins&Will.

A lunch and networking opportunity will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00p.m. and a workshop led by Jennifer Hancock, VP of Collaborative Construction, Chandos Construction, will follow.

The hands-on interactive workshop in the optional afternoon session will focus on aligning values among stakeholders that work on construction sites. It will feature breakout groups and discussion presentations.

Attendees are reminded that the afternoon session is optional. Seat will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, with sign up available starting at 9:30 a.m. at the event.

This BEAT Forum will qualify for 2 OAA Structured Learning hours.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) has recently announced its Fall 2023 program which aims to diversify perspectives to represent the realities of the architectural field.

The program, which is being offered in Montréal and beyond as well as online, includes the opening of the exhibition Far from Nostalgia, which is the second chapter in the Out of the Box series, dedicated to a prominent figure of modern architecture, Argentine architect Amancio Williams.

It also includes the opening of the Indigenous-led exhibition ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ / Ruovttu Guvlui / Vers chez soi / Towards Home, which was presented at the CCA last year and is now travelling to the Architecture and Design Gallery – John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto and the exhibition Me conociste en un momento extraño de mi vida / You met me at a very strange time in my life, curated as part of the CCA c/o Buenos Aires program and presented at the Torcuato Di Tella University in Buenos Aires.

The fall program also includes a series of conversations around the CCA’s latest publication Fugitive Archives: A Sourcebook for Centring Africa in Histories of Architecture in Montreal, London, and Johannesburg as well as screenings of its latest two short documentaries Where We Grow Older and To Remain in the No Longer at International film festivals and exhibitions in Rotterdam, Istanbul, Bordeaux, Bergen and Prague.

The CCA has also launched a series of open calls, including for articles for its upcoming web issue Keep Safe and for its different Research Fellowships.

This Fall, guests are also invited to check out the inaugural annual CCA Research Network Lecture Architecture As Public Concern; along with various public programs and workshops activating the main exhibition called The Lives of Documents – Photography as Project, which will be on display until April 7, 2024.

The fall program also includes a lecture by Italian photographer and filmmaker Armin Linke, a series of presentations and discussions called Documents of Displacement, featuring Montreal-based artists Pedro Barbáchano, Marisa Portolese, Jinyoung Kim and Victor Arroyo and screenings of films by Farah Al Qasimi and David Hartt, moderated by Joyce Joumaa, 2021–2022 CCA emerging curator and Hester Keijser, CCA’s curator of photography and new media.

There will also be an opportunity for guests to join the Bazar, which is the CCA’s annual garage sale.

For more information on the program and to view the full schedule, click here.

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