In the Cultural History (or “ico”, short for iconography) stream at Waterloo Architecture, students delve into reading, writing, and thinking about the cultural forces that shape architecture. We page through dense philosophical tomes in the short days between studio deadlines, and brood upon the imagery of countless art films screened in class, cultivating ideas that make their way back into our design work. Finally, in our fourth year, we get to immerse ourselves in all...
Photos from KLH UK (top right) and Ecobuild (bottom right). ABSTRACT by Henry Murdock Our built environment is constantly adapting to changing factors: technology, the state of the economy, material resource availability, and, in turn, environmental conditions. The latter has gained notable importance in popular discourse, and especially in the architecture and construction professions. However, as much as we see terms such as “sustainability” and “green” in our everyday lives, government and industry are slow to take action investing in our future environment....
The Master Works Exhibition, supported by Design at Riverside, is an annual exhibition of the thesis work of masters students from the Waterloo School of Architecture. It presents the expanse and depth of each chosen student’s thesis exploration through all forms of representational media – drawings, diagrams, renders, models, photography. Graduates of the Masters Program from between 2011 and 2014 are eligible to submit their work. The deadline for application submission is August 7th, 2014. Applications are to be...
Are you involved in a creative project within the Waterloo School of Architecture, the Galt area, or broader design community? Share your ideas in the upcoming Pecha Kucha: Creative Projects this Saturday, July 26th! All projects are welcome, including, but not limited to, art projects, start-ups, community initiatives, master’s theses, Nuit Blanche installations, etc. Please send an email to chen.vikkie@gmail.com as soon as possible if you’re interested in presenting. Pecha Kucha 20×20 is a format that...
Engi-Tecture: Eccentricity is an art exhibition that exposes the creative pursuits of architects and engineers beyond their respective professions. Roksena Nikolova, the founder and curator of the event, aspires to bring people together to celebrate art from the point of view of architecture and engineering students, faculty members, and professionals. She says, “When we make things, we express our view of the world. The creative outcome may be painting, sculpture, illustration, printing, photography, music, dance, theatre, poetry,...
![[un]Shaded Territories: a design for women empowerment in rural Pakistan](https://waterlooarchitecture.com/bridge/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ICON_Thesis-35-210x420-900x500.jpg){kind=icon}
ABSTRACT by Anam Khan The separation between Pakistan and India in 1947 was a direct result of the struggle between two different religious groups in the region; Hindus, and Muslims. Of all the provinces split, Punjab was the only one province that was split between the two nations. This division caused one of the biggest migrations in history, affecting about 10 million people. People left behind their homes, their lives, and beloved...
ABSTRACT by Amanda Motyer Disability is a part of the human condition and has existed since the beginning of time, yet the vast majority of people with disabilities are still expected to live in a built environment designed for what society has designated as the human “norm.” This has created a built world that is actually contributing to disablement. The past twenty years have seen many positive changes in terms of removing physical barriers to those with disabilities, in particular allowing wheelchair...
This past weekend, Building Waterloo Region celebrated three consecutive openings: Ex-Industria on Friday night, followed by On the Line and No Small Plans on Saturday afternoon. For those involved in the creation of No Small Plans, myself included, the days leading up to the opening were tumultuous–late nights, working until daybreak, followed by a quick nap on the couch and then right back to it. Some of us didn’t get a chance to change after the Friday night opening, manning tools and...
Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the Grand River and downtown Galt, the Grand House has been an icon for the City of Cambridge as well as the Waterloo Architecture community. Architecture students design many hypothetical projects during their years at school, but only a few fortunate ones have the opportunity to design a real-scale project and plan and raise money to build it. That was the case for many students who took...
For the 14th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, Lateral Office curated the Canadian pavilion, Arctic Adaptations: Nunavut at 15. It has been recognized as one of the top pavilions at the event with a Special Mention for “its in-depth study of how modernity adapts to a unique climatic condition and a local minority culture.” Toronto-based Lateral Office is led by Waterloo Architecture professors Lola Sheppard and Matthew Spremulli, along with Mason White. Embracing...
