Design / en 'Re-humanizing' design: Meet new 91łÔąĎ Engineering faculty member Philip Asare /news/re-humanizing-design-meet-new-u-t-engineering-faculty-member-philip-asare <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'Re-humanizing' design: Meet new 91łÔąĎ Engineering faculty member Philip Asare </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Asare_headshot.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ljGPiQz2 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Asare_headshot.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8wH-uU09 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Asare_headshot.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6HQjI8-W 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Asare_headshot.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ljGPiQz2" alt="Photo of Philip Asare wearing a purple T-shirt"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-08-18T16:55:59-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 16:55" class="datetime">Tue, 08/18/2020 - 16:55</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Dustin Fenstermacher)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/stem" hreflang="en">STEM</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Philip Asare</strong>&nbsp;recently joined the division of engineering science in the 91łÔąĎ’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, as well as the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP) – an institute&nbsp;created&nbsp;“<a href="http://istep.utoronto.ca/about-istep/overview/">to&nbsp;drive change in how we prepare future engineering leaders</a>.”</p> <p>An assistant professor, teaching stream, Asare says engineering is an activity geared towards human goals, full of rich and interesting stories of how particular ideas or products came to be.</p> <p>“The human dynamics involved in the process have a significant effect on the outcome – who is doing the engineering matters a lot,” he says.</p> <p>Asare was previously an&nbsp;assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Bucknell University. He also spent time as a scholar-in residence at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration while earning his PhD in computer engineering from the University of Virginia.</p> <p>Writer <strong>Tyler Irving</strong> recently spoke with Asare to find out more about his research and his philosophy of engineering education.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Can you talk about your background in STEM? Why did you choose engineering?</strong></p> <p>I decided to pursue engineering in the hope of using my skills to better the human condition. This is why I gravitated towards medical applications in my work, such as assessing and assuring safety of emerging medical devices.</p> <p>Along the way, I realized that, in North America, many people who are involved in engineering&nbsp;and in technical fields more broadly&nbsp;did not look like me or share a similar background. I grew up in Ghana, where my mom is an engineer, and most of the engineers I knew were like me (though we still have problems related to gender and socio-economic status).</p> <p>Being aware of the under-representation led me to get involved in outreach efforts, even as an undergraduate. I’ve been on a quest to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in these fields ever since.</p> <p>I decided to get into higher education because I felt that, in addition to the impact I could make from my own work, I can also help train the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals to be attentive to issues of the human condition, including social justice, equity and inclusion.</p> <p><strong>You’ve said that you see engineering as a “humanist enterprise.” What does that mean?</strong></p> <p>Engineering is a human activity geared towards human goals, full of rich and interesting stories of how particular ideas or products came to be. The human dynamics involved in the process have a significant effect on the outcome – who is doing the engineering matters a lot.</p> <p>There’s a quote in the book&nbsp;<em>Plato and the Nerd</em>&nbsp;by Edward A. Lee of UC Berkeley&nbsp;that I love: “Technology is not a collection of Platonic truths that have always been lurking in the background, waiting to be discovered, but is rather a rich sociological tapestry of ideas created by human inventors. It is shaped by those humans&nbsp;and, had a different set of humans created it, including more women, for example, the technology would unquestionably be different.”</p> <p><strong>Why did you choose 91łÔąĎ Engineering?</strong></p> <p>I loved the idea of ISTEP and the goals they had in mind when it was set up. The same is true of the engineering science program. In my career, I have looked at engineering often from a design perspective, so the fact that this position would be focused on design and housed in both ISTEP and EngSci really resonated with me.</p> <p>I feel like the question, “How should we prepare the next generation of engineering leaders for the world they will face in 2050?” is something I’ve been asking myself for a while, and the opportunity to explore this with folks here was really attractive.</p> <p>In addition, Toronto works out well for my family, and 91łÔąĎ’s size, diversity of research fields and prominence mean that I get to interact with a lot of different people, which is exciting for me.</p> <p><strong>What are your plans for teaching and research?</strong></p> <p>The overarching theme will be “re-humanizing design.”&nbsp;Course-wise, I’m responsible for the second-year engineering science design course Praxis III as well as the capstone course for engineering science’s electrical and computer engineering majors.</p> <p>On the research side, I’m going to continue my work on increasing representation of underrepresented groups in STEM. I also have some work on how we educate engineers to operate in the complex socio-technical world we have created using various engaging pedagogies that will also be continuing. In addition, I will be continuing my work on system design, especially in the medical area.</p> <p><strong>What one piece of advice would you give to new students?</strong></p> <p>Learning happens in many places&nbsp;– not just in the classroom or in a course. Pay attention to those learning moments that happen outside traditional spaces. Take time to get to know people deeply, especially people who have different backgrounds and experiences than you do.</p> <p>University is one of the few times in life you’ll have your time mainly focused on learning and making connections with others. Make the most of it.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 18 Aug 2020 20:55:59 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 165506 at This ultra-thin hot water bottle designed by a 91łÔąĎ PhD student could help ease menstrual pain /news/ultra-thin-hot-water-bottle-designed-u-t-phd-student-could-help-ease-menstrual-pain <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">This ultra-thin hot water bottle designed by a 91łÔąĎ PhD student could help ease menstrual pain</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-08-06-Wearable%20Pain%20Mitigation-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rTzT6w2I 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2019-08-06-Wearable%20Pain%20Mitigation-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KiIpJq4H 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2019-08-06-Wearable%20Pain%20Mitigation-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tZQLmbrk 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-08-06-Wearable%20Pain%20Mitigation-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=rTzT6w2I" alt="Undu team member holds up its first product, an ultra-thin heating pad"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-08-07T00:00:00-04:00" title="Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - 00:00" class="datetime">Wed, 08/07/2019 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">One of the Undu team members holds up its first product, an ultra-thin heating pad. The new startup, led by 91łÔąĎ Engineering grad student Charlie Katrycz, is developing new ways to relieve menstrual pain (photo courtesy of Undu)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/liz-do" hreflang="en">Liz Do</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/awards" hreflang="en">Awards</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-left:auto;">A team led by a PhD candidate at the 91łÔąĎ’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering has developed the world’s thinnest wearable hot water bottle to relieve menstrual pain in the lower abdomen.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">Although dysmenorrhea – also known as menstrual cramps – affects up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34303-z">95 per cent</a>&nbsp;of those who experience monthly menstruation, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1701216316399303?via%3Dihub">it is commonly&nbsp;undertreated</a>, and the list of market-ready design solutions has traditionally been short.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“In terms of products to be worn on the body, there’s the bulky hot water bottle, a more than a century-old technology, and then there’s expensive electrode machines that deliver shocks to your lower abdomen,” says&nbsp;<strong>Charlie Katrycz</strong>,&nbsp;a PhD candidate in the department of materials science and engineering.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">Katrycz and his collaborators – including 91łÔąĎ alumna&nbsp;<strong>Katherine Porter</strong>&nbsp;(art history), Robin Linton and Graham&nbsp;McLaughlin – <a href="https://www.loonskinlabs.com/">have created&nbsp;Undu</a>, a wearable, pain-mitigating underwear product, measuring just a third of a centimetre thick, that can be worn comfortably and seamlessly under high-waisted underwear to deliver heat therapy on the go. Just like other heating packs, it can be heated in the microwave or boiled in water.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">What makes the product unique from other gel packs is Katrycz’s patented air-casting technology and manufacturing approach. <a href="https://www.loonskinlabs.com/">He calls the result&nbsp;Loonskin</a>. The technology works by injecting fluid channels that imitate those found in blood vessels and veins – imagine capillary beds under the skin – within silicone materials.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“This branched-out pattern is reminiscent of biological structures. They’re also the kind of geometrical shapes that’d be great at delivering or taking away heat, so I wanted to find ways to make this technology wearable,” says Katrycz, who is currently researching generative manufacturing technologies under the supervision of&nbsp;Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Ben Hatton&nbsp;</strong>and Professor <strong>Glenn Hibbard</strong>.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“My friends pointed out that this method could be a great device to relieve menstrual pain,” says Katrycz.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">Despite their intricate shapes, Undu’s materials can be manufactured with simple mechanisms: two paper spacers and thin plastic film create a port to pump air and fluid channels into the silicone.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“The fastest way to make a large number of something, in terms of creating moulded, plastic objects, is injection moulding. The slowest method is 3D printing, but that method allows for the manufacturing of more complex objects,” explains Katrycz.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“Our manufacturing method accesses the complexity of 3D printing, while retaining the speed of injection moulding. That means we’ll be able to easily and quickly produce many different designs and sizes of this product –&nbsp;including customizing for different body types.”</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">To inform the design of Undu, the team conducted a survey, asking 100 respondents to draw and describe where they experience cramps. They were also asked to indicate their current methods of pain relief, with many saying they used over-the-counter painkillers, cannabis and hot water bottles.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">Linton has used all three methods to combat dysmenorrhea and is currently the team’s product tester. “I got involved in this project because menstrual pains have affected me every month for 16 years, sometimes requiring me to miss school and work,” she says. “Experiencing intense pain on a regular basis for so long had me feeling like this would just be my life for the next 30 years.”</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">The thinness of the product is an advantage, but has led to challenges in other areas. Current prototypes retain heat for only about 20 minutes. “It is important for relief to last as long as possible,” says Linton. The team’s goal is to get to two hours without sacrificing comfort.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">Undu is an entrant in this year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/en-CA/2019/project/undu-wearable-menstrual-pain-mitigation/">James Dyson Award</a>, an international design competition that celebrates the next generation of design engineers.&nbsp;In the fall, the team plans to get more people to test new designs. In addition to the current application, the team is also looking at how it can leverage the Loonskin technology to help people through other wearable products.</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“This product could help address a problem that the market hasn’t historically paid much attention to,” says Porter, who is working on the industrial design of Undu. “For me, this was a socially important project to work on.”</p> <p style="margin-left:auto;">“It’s incredibly important that we all work to reduce the stigma around discussing menstrual pains, as it is a worldwide issue that impacts so many people,” adds Linton. “It’s been eye-opening to work on this project with people who do not menstruate, and the more we talk about it and support one another, the better.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 07 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000 noreen.rasbach 157467 at 91łÔąĎ business expert on why designers have arrived in corporate boardrooms /news/u-t-business-expert-why-designers-have-arrived-corporate-boardrooms <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91łÔąĎ business expert on why designers have arrived in corporate boardrooms</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-11-16-boardroom-resized_0.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=9pWbfCHn 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-11-16-boardroom-resized_0.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=X_KrULFp 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-11-16-boardroom-resized_0.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=MAh1H2-E 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-11-16-boardroom-resized_0.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=9pWbfCHn" alt="Photo of boardroom"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-11-16T14:22:42-05:00" title="Friday, November 16, 2018 - 14:22" class="datetime">Fri, 11/16/2018 - 14:22</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Design is now being lauded as a much-needed mindset for business leaders – those seeking a customer-centred approach to innovation, reimagining operations and rethinking supply chains and financial models (photo by Shutterstock)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/angele-beausoleil" hreflang="en">Angèle Beausoleil</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/conversation" hreflang="en">The Conversation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Design is heading to a corporate boardroom near you.</p> <p>Its form is not a chair, handbag or technology. It is human. This new type of designer is equally comfortable in a navy suit or black turtleneck. Fuelled by top-selling business books and management consultant reports, this latest design movement is all about customer-tailored companies thriving in today’s uncertain economic and political climate.</p> <p>Over the past 15 years we have seen an exponential growth in new design-related jobs – from computer user-interface (UI) and user-experience (Ux) designer, service designer, customer experience designer, business designer and chief design officer. These, and other design roles, were highlighted in <em>Fast Company</em>’s 2016 article,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3054433/the-most-important-design-jobs-of-the-future">“The most important design jobs of the future</a>.” More recently, design jobs are popping up in unexpected places. Designers are now inside banks, accounting firms, telecommunication departments and manufacturers.</p> <p>What’s driving this design renaissance?</p> <p>It is a combination of influence, timing and proof of success.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244922/original/file-20181111-39548-irbb07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"></em> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Business, design and management books, articles and reports (photo by&nbsp;</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ang</span></span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">è</span></span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">le Beausoleil)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Early influences can be attributed to a series of published works over the past decade, particularly those authored by big thinkers like <a href="https://rogerlmartin.com/">Roger Martin</a>, design consultancy leaders like <a href="https://www.ideo.com/people/tim-brown">Tim Brown</a> and design tech executives such as <a href="https://maedastudio.com/">John Maeda</a>. They, along with small academic and industry communities, have long connected design to business processes, operations and strategies.</p> <p>The proof has been collected over many years and finally published in 2013 by the <a href="https://www.dmi.org/">Design Management Institute</a> (DMI). Their <a href="https://www.dmi.org/page/DesignValue/The-Value-of-Design-.htm">Value of Design report</a> aimed to nudge the capital markets to invest in design-infused companies as they were surpassing traditional firms with an average of 220 per cent return on their share price value.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sap.com/index.html">SAP is one example</a> of a design-infused company. The German computer software company has integrated design across their global enterprise – from research and development studios to product management and strategy. Their chief design officers receive extensive investment in growing their teams and offering design education for their employees.</p> <p>The Design Management Institute report was the first to offer proof that a well-designed product, service or experience sells itself.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244923/original/file-20181111-36763-1335cdj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">DMI DesignValueIndex</span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Top business magazines followed, including <em>Forbes</em>, supporting DMI’s findings in their 2014 article,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2014/11/11/what-is-behind-the-rise-of-the-chief-design-officer/#597dcabe33c2">“What is behind the rise of the chief design officer</a>,” explaining why design is moving into corporate boardrooms.</p> <p>In 2017, the <em>Harvard Business Review</em> provided more reasons for the need for design leadership, with an article on how CEOs were <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/01/are-you-solving-the-right-problems">admitting to costly over-engineered processes</a>, products and business models, resulting in loss of customers, jobs and brand loyalty.</p> <p>This October, global management consultancy <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/">McKinsey</a> published their <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-design/our-insights/the-business-value-of-design">“The Business Value of Design”</a> report, making the case that integrating design across an entire company will have a positive impact on employees, customers and the bottom line. The report, authored by trusted management consultants, is creating real design buzz in boardrooms.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244928/original/file-20181111-39548-kgvw93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Design acquisitions by top management consultancies (photo by</span>&nbsp;<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Angele Beausoleil)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The world’s top management consulting firms have also been actively acquiring design agencies, creating their own design leadership practices, hiring chief design officers (for example, 3M, PepsiCo, Philips, Ford, etc.) and even offering design-thinking training for their multinational clients.</p> <p>Design has officially emerged beyond products and services of the type offered by companies like Apple and Starbucks to experiences offered by tech giants like Amazon and Uber and strategies like those on offer from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-10-08/designed-in-china">Designed in China</a>.</p> <p>Design and its cousin, <em>design thinking</em>, are now being lauded as a much-needed mindset for leaders – those seeking a customer-centred approach to business innovation, reimagining operations and rethinking supply chains and financial models. Why?</p> <p>It’s because design is proving to be extremely effective as a creative problem-solving approach for business and an antidote to the over-engineering mistakes of the past.</p> <p>Packaged goods corporations are seeking to understand how <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/zara-looks-to-technology-to-keep-up-with-faster-fashion">Spanish clothing brand Zara</a> is able to get street fashion trends into the hands of retail customers in record time. Manufacturers are watching <a href="https://www.amazon.com/">Amazon’s</a> bold and encroaching actions in redefining supply chains. Financial institutions are following Apple and <a href="https://pay.google.com/payments/u/0/home#">Google</a> as they compete with tech companies for mobile payment transactions.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244925/original/file-20181111-116853-19j76hp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Scotiabank Digital Factory (c</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">ourtesy of Scotiabank)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>In Canada, designers are finding their way to corner offices. <a href="https://www.ibm.com/design/studio.shtml">IBM is expanding</a> their design leadership studios, <a href="https://digitalfactory.scotiabank.com/">Scotiabank is expanding</a> their design teams in their “Digital Factory” and <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/deloitte-analytics/articles/greenhouse.html">Deloitte is establishing</a> their Greenhouse design advisory group as customer insight departments.</p> <p>Make no mistake&nbsp;– these are not typical designers, they are armed with graduate degrees in business, strategy and design.</p> <p>In early 2018, the 91łÔąĎ’s Rotman School of Management created a new professorship in <a href="http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/FacultyAndResearch/Faculty/FacultyBios/Beausoleil">business design</a> (the first of its kind in the world), to teach and research the next generation of design-leading MBAs. These graduates are uniquely positioned to make a business case for design’s return on investment while also integrating customer needs.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img alt src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244926/original/file-20181111-34102-10oihb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"> <figcaption><em><span class="caption">Rotman MBAs with a business design major (C</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">ourtesy of Canadian Business and Rotman School of Management)</span></span></em></figcaption> </figure> <p>To better understand customers, companies are starting to rethink their processes and management teams. Designers, not traditional executives, are now heralded as those who will guide global corporations and local governments in offering services, experiences and strategies that both delight customers and shareholders.</p> <p>Interestingly, Canadian design educator <a href="http://www.robertlpeters.com/">Robert Peters</a> once stated:&nbsp;“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.”</p> <p>It appears companies are finally responding.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106437/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" width="1" loading="lazy"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: http://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/angele-beausoleil-459293">AngĂ©le Beausoleil</a>&nbsp;is an assistant professor, teaching stream, in business design and innovation at the 91łÔąĎ's Rotman School of Management.</span></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-designers-have-arrived-in-corporate-boardrooms-106437">original article</a>.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:22:42 +0000 noreen.rasbach 147269 at Artists, architects reimagine a 91łÔąĎ quad for Art Museum exhibition /news/artists-architects-reimagine-u-t-quad-art-museum-exhibition <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Artists, architects reimagine a 91łÔąĎ quad for Art Museum exhibition</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/models-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MymfEJrQ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/models-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DMXHOB06 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/models-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5urylhtU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/models-main-1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MymfEJrQ" alt="Picture of design installation"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-27T14:32:15-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - 14:32" class="datetime">Wed, 09/27/2017 - 14:32</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Design installation Wa-Wa can be seen on the Sir Daniel Wilson quad at 91łÔąĎ's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/landscape" hreflang="en">landscape</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art-museum" hreflang="en">Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Most 91łÔąĎ students, faculty and staff have passed through Sir Daniel Wilson quad when cutting across&nbsp;the downtown Toronto campus – but they’ve never seen it quite like this.</p> <p>Sprinkled around the leafy green space next to University College are 130 curved convex mirrors forming a giant circle on the ground. Each orb provides a unique perspective – forcing viewers to look up by looking down.</p> <p>This mysterious installation, called <em>Wa-Wa</em>, was created by the architecture studio UUfie – founded by architect-designers Eiri Ota and <strong>Irene Gardpoit</strong>, 91łÔąĎ alumna of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design’s architecture program.</p> <p><em>Wa-Wa</em> is part of 91łÔąĎ Art Museum’s <a href="http://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/exhibition/making-models/"><em>Making Models</em></a> exhibition, which invited architect and artist collectives to create mini-models of an installation that can transform the quad under the theme “meet me there.”</p> <p>While only <em>Wa-Wa</em> was displayed at full-scale in the quad – selected by a jury of experts from art critics to architects – the other eight models are displayed at the Art Museum’s Art Centre.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6178 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/MakingModels_LateralOffice_PhotobyDominicChan---750-X-500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>A view of design practice Lateral Office's model Rings/Rooms. The practice was co-founded by 91łÔąĎ Associate Professor <strong>Mason White</strong> (photo by Dominic Chan)</em></p> <p>Viewers are encouraged to think about the quad – a space on campus they likely walk through every day but rarely pay close attention to – in a different light, says <strong>Yan Wu</strong>, curator-in-residence at the Art Museum.</p> <p>“You will see something you didn't see before in this space – that's the best part of it,” she says.</p> <p>The entries are diverse in form and content – from physical structures to dance performances.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6179 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Installation-view-of-Making-Models-2017---Credit_Toni-Hafkenscheid-750-X-500..jpg" style="width: 744px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Models on display at the exhibition. Spatial Sonic Network is seen on the back wall (photo by Toni Hafkenscheid)</em></p> <p>One of the most striking – and interactive – models was created by <strong>Brady Peters</strong> and <strong>Mitchell Akiyama</strong> – assistant professors at Daniels who both study the intersection of sound and design.</p> <p>Called <em>Spatial Sonic Network</em>, the installation plays with the idea of sound mirrors – structures that can focus sound waves to create specific acoustic effects.</p> <p>The model is made up of two structures on either side of the room. If someone talks into one, a person sitting facing the other structure will hear them as clearly as if they were speaking into a microphone.</p> <p>“If we think about architecture and sound, any kind of architecture modifies the sounds we create,” Peters says.</p> <p><em>Spatial Sonic Network</em> is meant to create intrigue and interactivity to encourage people to linger.</p> <p>“It’s a combination of surprise and further investigation once you actually knew it was going on to enliven the square and make it more of a destination,” says Peters.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://giphy.com/embed/l378aQ8T31aupJ4Dm" width="480"></iframe></p> <p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/l378aQ8T31aupJ4Dm">via GIPHY</a></p> <p>To design these complex analog structures, the duo needed some digital assistance. With the help of five architecture students - <strong>Sean Lamb</strong>, a master’s student, and undergrads<strong> Ous Abou Ras</strong>,<strong> Holly Wiersma</strong>,<strong> James Park</strong>,<strong> and Gianina Ramos</strong> – Peters and Akiyama wrote a computer program to create an algorithm (represented in the animation above) in order to find the exact points in the quad where the structures should be located so people could communicate with each other at a distance.</p> <p>Wu says <em>Spatial Sonic</em> <em>Network</em> is a great example of how One Spadina – the new home of the Daniels faculty – can be used to foster collaboration and take advantage of cutting edge resources.</p> <p>“It's good to see the art technologies available, especially at the new building,” she says.</p> <p>As part of the exhibition, check out the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artmuseumuoft/">Art Museum’s Instagram account</a> on Sept. 30 from 2-4 p.m.&nbsp;for a virtual architecture tour of 91łÔąĎ by <em>Globe and Mail</em> architecture critic Alex Bozikovic. You can also vote for your favourite model at the exhibition and online until Oct. 7.</p> <p>View <em>Wa-Wa</em> in the Sir Daniel Wilson quad until Nov. 25, and the exhibit at the Art Centre until Oct. 6.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 27 Sep 2017 18:32:15 +0000 Romi Levine 117337 at The New York Times celebrates One Spadina at 91łÔąĎ /news/new-york-times-celebrates-one-spadina-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The New York Times celebrates One Spadina at 91łÔąĎ</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-11-one-spadina-resize_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=edY-9Hs0 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-09-11-one-spadina-resize_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=njyugumd 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-09-11-one-spadina-resize_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OjmD0Z7u 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-09-11-one-spadina-resize_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=edY-9Hs0" alt="photo of One Spadina"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-11T14:19:44-04:00" title="Monday, September 11, 2017 - 14:19" class="datetime">Mon, 09/11/2017 - 14:19</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design is the third building for an architecture school by architect Nader Tehrani (photo by John Horner) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/landscape" hreflang="en">landscape</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/one-spadina" hreflang="en">One Spadina</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Showcasing the new home of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>The New York Times</em> features 91łÔąĎ's One Spadina in an article&nbsp;about a generation of architects making their mark on the world.</p> <p>The article spotlights Nader Tehrani, who along with&nbsp;Katie Faulkner – both&nbsp;principals at the Boston-based firm NADAAA – designed&nbsp;the new home of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, which&nbsp;has being receiving&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-s-one-spadina-crescent-merging-past-future">critical accolades</a>.</p> <p>One Spadina&nbsp;is&nbsp;Tehrani's third building for an architecture school.</p> <p><em>The New York Times</em> writes that for Daniels, Tehrani “floats an origami-like roof over a 110-foot-wide column-free room to create floodlit studio and social spaces below. A new circulation spine attempts to better link the building, which is set on a traffic roundabout, into the city.”</p> <h3><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/arts/design/a-generation-of-architects-making-its-mark-at-dizzying-speed.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=arts&amp;region=stream&amp;module=stream_unit&amp;version=latest&amp;contentPlacement=8&amp;pgtype=sectionfront">Read the article</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/news/2017/08/15/nader-tehrani-shaping-future-architecture-says-architectural-digest">Read more about One Spadina</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 11 Sep 2017 18:19:44 +0000 ullahnor 115412 at 91łÔąĎ’s Winter Stations warm up Toronto’s beaches /news/u-t-s-winter-stations-warm-toronto-s-beaches <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91łÔąĎ’s Winter Stations warm up Toronto’s beaches</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/WS%20Main.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2Em21OFk 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/WS%20Main.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kqWPOy2A 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/WS%20Main.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AaHFqmfJ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/WS%20Main.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2Em21OFk" alt="Midwinter Fire"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-28T12:15:42-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 28, 2017 - 12:15" class="datetime">Tue, 02/28/2017 - 12:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Beachgoers enjoy 91łÔąĎ's Winter Station installation named, “Midwinter Fire” (photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/architecture" hreflang="en">Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/arts" hreflang="en">Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/landscape-architecture" hreflang="en">landscape architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/location" hreflang="en">On Location</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The event runs until March 27</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Torontonians have been flocking&nbsp;to the sandy shores of Lake Ontario to check out the whimsical structures lining the beach.</p> <p><a href="http://winterstations.com/">Winter Stations</a>&nbsp;is the&nbsp;annual design competition where creative teams from all over the world build art installations around the&nbsp;lifeguard posts scattered across Toronto's east-end beaches. This year, 91łÔąĎ architecture and landscape architecture master’s students from&nbsp;the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design made their debut.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1nLNVW0bgnM" width="640"></iframe></p> <p>The event is a chance for students and budding designers to show off their talent,&nbsp;alongside more experienced architects. Three schools, including 91łÔąĎ, were chosen to participate. &nbsp;</p> <p>“To me, this is a great opportunity for young designers to design,&nbsp;build and deliver pieces where normally in the studio, they don't necessarily see things out and work through problems,” says Aaron Hendershott of RAW Design, one of the event organizers. “I think it's a great learning experience for the students and they do really compelling work.”</p> <p>Students at 91łÔąĎ participated in an internal competition to decide which installation would be included and it was <em>Midwinter Fire</em>&nbsp;that got the vote. &nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3594 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/building.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><em>91łÔąĎ architecture and landscape architecture students assembled Midwinter Fire on a snowy beach, days before the Winter Stations event opened to the public&nbsp;(photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <div>The structure utilizes local vegetation to brighten up the wintry beach and reflective walls to make the installation appear larger, almost infinite.</div> <h3><a href="/news/jazzing-winter-city-u-t-students-build-winter-station-toronto-beach">Read more about 91łÔąĎ's<em> Midwinter Fire</em></a></h3> <p>“What we're trying to do is get into a space and alter your perception of what the outside is to the inside,” says architecture graduate student <strong>Michael DeGirolamo</strong>.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3595 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/mindwinter.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Midwinter Fire was one of a few structures with a lineup to get inside on opening day&nbsp;(photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p>The construction process wasn’t without a “few hiccups,” says DeGirolamo.</p> <p>The truck carrying building materials, for example, got stuck in the sand, delaying construction and a supply run. Despite setbacks, <em>Midwinter Fire</em>&nbsp;was ready to go for opening day – and it was a hit.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kids enjoyed climbing up onto the lifeguard station to get a good view. One parent&nbsp;remarked,&nbsp;“This is magic.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3597 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/beacon.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Kids had fun using Winter Stations, like this one&nbsp;called </em>Beacon<em>, as a jungle gym&nbsp;(photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p><em>Midwinter Fire</em>&nbsp;isn’t the only 91łÔąĎ-made Winter Station at this year’s event.</p> <p>After drafting a design for their studio class, landscape architecture students <strong>Asuka Kono</strong> and <strong>Rachel Salmela</strong> decided to submit their concept to the design competition – and they won.</p> <p>Their Winter Station, <em>I See You Ashiyu</em>, is a long wooden foot bath heated by a wood-burning stove.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3596 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/I%20see%20you.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>"We really wanted to do something that's more connected to the beach and the lake, that would help revitalize a winter landscape," says Rachel Salmela about, </em>I See You Ashiyu<em>&nbsp;(photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p>“We both are very familiar with the public baths culture:&nbsp;I'm from Japan, half of [Rachel’s] family is from Finland,” says Kono. “When we are warm and relaxed, it's easy to communicate with other people so this hot springs public bath is a social catalyst.”</p> <p>Beachgoers are encouraged to keep filling the bath using buckets provided.</p> <p>“It gets people to engage with one another, engage with the installation in a more active way,” says Salmela.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3598 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/message%20bottle.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> Collective Memory<em>, an installation created by a design team from Italy and Spain, encouraged people to celebrate the diversity of Toronto by writing messages in bottles&nbsp;(photo by Romi Levine)</em></p> <p>For Hendershott, 91łÔąĎ’s Winter Stations embrace the qualities that make the event unique.</p> <p>“The installations that have been most successful in my mind create new types of social spaces,” he says. “They create reasons for strangers to rub elbows or get contained in the space together.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 28 Feb 2017 17:15:42 +0000 Romi Levine 105256 at Future city builders: Karimah Gheddai and Shaimaa Atef /news/future-city-builders-karimah-gheddai-and-shaimaa-atef <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Future city builders: Karimah Gheddai and Shaimaa Atef</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/K%2BS%202.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A3dgfNMY 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/K%2BS%202.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nZfnStci 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/K%2BS%202.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=XX9rwPXk 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/K%2BS%202.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A3dgfNMY" alt="Karimah Gheddai and Shaimaa Atef"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-09-26T13:09:03-04:00" title="Monday, September 26, 2016 - 13:09" class="datetime">Mon, 09/26/2016 - 13:09</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Karimah Gheddai and Shaimaa Atef (Photo by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/john-h-daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/architecture" hreflang="en">Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/awards" hreflang="en">Awards</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/egypt" hreflang="en">egypt</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/migrants" hreflang="en">Migrants</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/future-city-builders" hreflang="en">future city builders</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>They're the new generation of Toronto city builders.&nbsp;</p> <p>Meet the ambitious 91łÔąĎ students and recent grads poised to become big players in shaping the city’s identity and contributing to its growth.&nbsp;</p> <p>This ongoing series from Romi Levine, who covers the city beat for 91łÔąĎ News, shares their stories.</p> <hr> <p>Toronto’s best qualities are the ones long-time residents often take for granted.&nbsp;</p> <p>But for those who’ve moved to the city from elsewhere, those same qualities were imperative to making Toronto feel like home.</p> <p>Just ask 91łÔąĎ Masters of urban design grads <strong>Karimah Gheddai</strong> and <strong>Shaimaa Atef</strong>.</p> <p>“I live in one of the best cities in the world,” says Gheddai. “Every day I’m marvelled at how people can get along here. You wouldn’t see this anywhere else.”</p> <p>“There are so many festivals like the Greek and Polish festivals… You really get to live that home-feeling even if it’s just for a little while,” Atef says.</p> <p>Gheddai grew up in Nigeria, moving to Calgary when she was 12. After living in a number of cities in Canada, she moved to Toronto.&nbsp;</p> <p>Atef was born and raised in Egypt, moving here to study at 91łÔąĎ.&nbsp;</p> <p>Their connections to Africa and desire to improve the lives of people in their home continent were the inspiration for their final urban design thesis project, which ended up winning the Heather M.&nbsp;Reisman Gold Medal in Design in 2015 – the most prestigious award for graduating students of Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design’s urban design program.</p> <p>For the project, Gheddai and Atef looked at ways to transform informal settlements in African cities to better the lives of those who live in them.&nbsp;</p> <p>These settlements are usually built without proper planning and often illegally, usually accommodating an influx of people, often migrants or populations coming from rural areas.&nbsp;</p> <p>Gheddai and Atef focused on some of the oldest settlements in Africa, located in Cairo, Egypt and some of the newest in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Seventy per cent of [Dar es Salaam] is informal settlements, which is huge and only growing,” says Gheddai, who has worked in the Tanzanian city for the Canadian government.</p> <p><em>(below: a rendering of the proposed settlement in Dar es Salaam, by Karimah Gheddai)</em></p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2083 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/D%20E%20S%20render.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p>The graduate students created a new design for informal settlements that would foster healthy growth – “a prototype for African cities,” that could be used all over the world, says Gheddai.</p> <p>Informal settlements continue to grow without proper planning, regulation and safety precautions.</p> <p>“I always had the feeling that there has to be a way to help them. There has to be a way to reconnect the broken link between the government and those dwellers,” says Atef.</p> <p>There are a number of ways Gheddai and Atef propose doing so, such as “upgrading accessibility to infrastructure, accessibility into the settlement, redeveloping the market network within the settlement and anticipating the growth in between spaces,” says Atef. &nbsp;</p> <p><em>(below: a rendering of part of the proposed settlement in Cairo, by Shaimaa Atef)</em></p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__2084 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Cairo%20render.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Gheddai and Atef say many of their ideas were shaped by their experience in Toronto.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Maybe we didn’t think about it, but we got a lot of inspiration the way the city of Toronto works. From urban agriculture to the entrepreneurship hubs, you have to take the best from everywhere and try and implement it in other places,” says Gheddai.</p> <p>And the celebration of diversity that made Toronto such a welcoming place for Gheddai and Atef – that could be the city’s greatest export.</p> <p>“With informal settlements like in Dar es Salaam, people come from the villages, trying to make it in the city – they’re bringing the knowledge and enthusiasm that a lot of people bring to Toronto,” says Gheddai.&nbsp;</p> <p>Gheddai is currently running her own wedding photography business and a filmmaking workshop for East African women entrepreneurs called Bia-SHE-ara, funded by the Toronto Arts Council.&nbsp;</p> <p>Atef is working as a junior urban designer at architecture and design firm Perkins + Will.&nbsp;</p> <p>But Gheddai and Atef have no intention of abandoning their thesis project. They hope to one day put it into practise.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are looking to find certain ways to implement that by connecting to UN habitat, by connecting to NGOs back home,” says Atef.&nbsp;</p> <p>The desire to bring about change in Africa is an ambition they both share.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I want to move back to Africa and implement strategies, working as an urban designer or in local government,” says Gheddai.&nbsp;</p> <p>“My end goal is to make my country a better country,” Atef says. “I don’t know how or when, if it’s in my lifetime or the next lifetime, but I would like to make even a small contribution to that.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 26 Sep 2016 17:09:03 +0000 Romi Levine 101091 at Eberhard Zeidler Library, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design /node/8733 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Eberhard Zeidler Library, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-01-07T15:47:19-05:00" title="Thursday, January 7, 2016 - 15:47" class="datetime">Thu, 01/07/2016 - 15:47</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-url field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">URL</div> <div class="field__item">https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/resources/library/eberhard-zeidler-library</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above clearfix"> <h3 class="field__label">Tags</h3> <ul class="links field__items"> <li><a href="/news/tags/daniels" hreflang="en">Daniels</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/architecture" hreflang="en">Architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/landscape" hreflang="en">landscape</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/design" hreflang="en">Design</a></li> <li><a href="/news/tags/libraries" hreflang="en">Libraries</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-campus field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Campus</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6953" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> </div> Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:47:19 +0000 sgupta 8733 at