Architecture

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's School of Architecture.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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A Woven Divide: Cotton, Property and Partition in the Indus River Basin
(University of Waterloo, 2025-05-09) Zubairi, Hiba Hasan
In less than a hundred years of colonial occupation, almost all of South Asia’s cotton species were erased. Where previously native communities had cultivated thousands of localized subspecies to foster unique properties, the British Empire imposed a single species of American cotton to meet their insatiable demand for textiles. My M.Arch research thesis examines cotton, in the context of South Asia, as a vessel for colonial extraction, environmental transformation, exploitation, and erasure. The displacement of Indigenous ‘desi’ cotton and propagation of ‘American’ cotton gave way to large scale environmental transformation, most notably the construction of the world’s largest irrigation system, to date, across the Indus River Basin. As the irrigation network transformed the province of Punjab into an agricultural asset, colonial intervention erased its forest, wetland and pastural landscapes. Simultaneously, colonial processes of extraction and manufacturing rendered native cotton methods obsolete, resulting in the degradation of textile tradition and the disappearance of native spaces of production such as kharkhanas. With my research, I aim to create spatial documentation of cotton in undivided Punjab, from plant to fabric, as a means to explore how life in South Asia transformed through colonial processes. Through archival research, architectural documentation and tapestries, this thesis traces the processes of cotton cultivation and production across the Punjabi landscape from pre-colonial eighteenth century to British exodus in 1947. Specifically investigating the spatial operations executed by colonial forces in order to displace Indigenous methods of production, and the resistance which came as a response from native Punjabis. Through the obsolescence of these processes, native spaces of cultivation and production were changed forever, diminishing native people’s agency over their land, and altering the relationship between the built and ecological environment. By taking a multiscalar approach with every stage of cotton processing, this thesis disassembles the intertwined nature of imperial forces manifesting in scales from the river delta to the human body. To expand beyond standardized drawing methods as a means of representation and challenge the epistemological truths upheld by these standards, I’m engaging with textile making in efforts to reconnect the work back to native practices and perspectives. The artifact crafted for this thesis was made by me as I uncovered knowledge of my grandmothers’ skills as textile artisans and connected their stories to the persistence of colonial forces in modern day nation-states which continue to diminish the agency and personhood of native communities in regards to land rights.
Maasai Women in Architecture: Navigating the Journey from Thorny Branches to Resilient Roots.
(University of Waterloo, 2025-05-09) Khan, Zhoya
"Maasai Architecture: Navigating the Journey from Thorny Branches to Resilient Roots" investigates the relationship between cultural preservation and the empowerment of Maasai women through architectural design. Traditional Maasai architecture, shaped by nomadic practices, communal living, and natural, local materials, is increasingly threatened by pressures from tourism, colonization, and shifting land ownership. These forces have transformed the Maasai culture and spaces surrounding them, unfortunately leaving the Maasai women with limited opportunities and spaces for growth. Historically, Maasai women have been the primary builders of their homes, with their intimate knowledge of the land and construction practices crucial for sustaining their community. However, as cultural change accelerates, this role is gradually being erased. Women’s activities are gradually being restricted to a private service, while men’s are being directed toward the wider public community. To address this, the research aims to design a space that honors Maasai heritage while creating new opportunities for women to thrive. The project envisions a women's empowerment center that integrates Maasai culture and traditional construction techniques with modern architectural innovations to address present-day challenges and meet the holistic needs of Maasai women. By incorporating locally sourced materials and culturally significant forms, alongside modern features, the design aims to be both symbolic and functional - a space of resilience but also one that fosters empowerment. The proposed center will offer spaces for education, economic opportunities, healthcare, and community support, empowering Maasai women to adapt and succeed. These multifunctional spaces will help the Maasai women with economical, intellectual, and emotional support. Additionally, the center will serve as a hub for cultural preservation, celebrating and passing on the wisdom and practices of Maasai women. In African culture, women’s agency and leadership is essential to passing on cultural heritage from one generation to the next. Through their creativity, knowledge, and key role in social practices and cultural expression, women are fundamental to maintaining traditions and cultural identity across the African continent. This journey "from thorny branches to resilient roots" represents the transformation of Maasai culture and spaces—evolving to provide strength, security, and opportunity, while still remaining rooted in important cultural values. As external pressures on Maasai communities increase, this architectural project aims to preserve both the vernacular physical structures, forms and building techniques as well as the socio-cultural fabric that defines the women's identity. This vision sees Maasai women not just as passive recipients of change but as active participants in shaping their future. By embracing their cultural roots, they become the protectors of their traditions while also leading their community towards growth and innovation.
From Time
(University of Waterloo, 2025-05-01) Peiris, Simon Eustace
This thesis, From Time, explores the intersection of community and the built environment within Scarborough, Ontario, by examining the decommissioned Scarborough Rapid Transit elevated guideway as a site for adaptive reuse. Scarborough, one of six boroughs of Metropolitan Toronto, is shaped by post-WWII suburban sprawl, industrial zoning, and modernist ideals of efficiency. Its immigrant communities have adapted the industrial-residential landscape to meet their communal needs, both formally through the reuse of industrial buildings and informally through the occupation of the terrain vague. Through personal reflections, historical research, and site analysis, this thesis investigates Scarborough’s social and communal dynamics. It explores how the remnants of the Scarborough RT infrastructure can reimagine public space, fostering a sense of communal identity. The design proposes the guideway’s reuse as a linear park with architectural infill, seeking to honour Scarborough’s history while providing a space that reflects its diverse cultural spirit. This thesis contributes to ongoing discussions on community-centric design, offering a locally rooted, culturally responsive approach to redevelopment. The project emphasizes the need for spaces that support local social life, preserving the ingenuity and optimism that define the community of Scarborough.
From Classroom to Garden: Bridging Education and Ecology in School Landscapes
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-28) Gutierrez, Monica
From Classroom to Garden explores the integration of permaculture principles into the planning and design of an urban farm strategically located adjacent to the newly constructed Swift Waters Elementary School in Brockville, Ontario. This study focuses on achieving two pivotal objectives: designing outdoor learning spaces and promoting local food production. The broader context of this research is set within the overarching goal of revitalizing the intricate ties that bind individuals to the land, food, and community. As we confront an environmental crisis, we also find ourselves in an era of nature deficiency. The convergence of climate change, widespread environmental degradation, and a growing disconnect between people - especially children - and the natural world has created a critical need for innovative solutions. Today’s children are growing up with limited direct exposure to the natural environment, a reality that not only impairs their understanding and appreciation of ecological systems but also impacts their physical and mental well-being. This disconnection poses challenges to fostering sustainable practices and cultivating environmental stewardship in future generations. This thesis is a response to the urgent need for reconnection with the environment by providing a multifunctional space that meets both educational and community needs. The 158,200-square-meter urban farm offers diverse opportunities for learning and community engagement. The academic spaces, both indoor and outdoor, enable students to connect with the natural world in ways that extend beyond traditional classrooms. Featuring themed gardens—such as herb and sensory gardens—the farm functions as living laboratories where students can explore plant biology and sustainable agriculture. Indoor facilities, including teaching kitchens and greenhouses, provide hands-on experiences with the entire food cycle, from cultivation and harvesting to cooking and nutrition, giving students a holistic view of food systems and sustainability. Complementing the farm, a reimagined Ontario Elementary Curriculum is proposed to support outdoor education. Supported by thoughtfully designed outdoor learning spaces, this curriculum aims to inspire a pedagogical shift that reestablishes nature as a central component of education, encouraging students to reconnect with nature and develop sustainable practices for the future. The design process for this thesis is informed by extensive site research, including multiple visits and seasonal analyses to understand the landscape’s evolving conditions. Contextual research on the surrounding area further grounds the design in local environmental and social dynamics. Methodologically, the project draws from case studies of outdoor learning environments, literature on experiential education, and an in-depth analysis of the Ontario Elementary Curriculum to ensure the designed spaces effectively support pedagogical goals. By aligning spatial design with curriculum needs, this thesis develops outdoor environments that actively facilitate hands-on learning, ecological literacy, and community engagement, demonstrating a holistic approach to education and landscape design.
Unfolding Morphologies: The Dynamics of Folding for Adaptive Spatial Design
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-28) Fathi, Sepehr
This thesis investigates folding as a transformative design strategy for creating responsive architectural elements. While folding techniques are often used in architectural design, their potential for adaptive responsiveness is, in most cases, untapped due to a limited understanding of their underlying behavior. Focusing on small-scale prototypes, particularly architectural textiles and wearable designs, this research examines the Miura-Ori folding pattern as a fundamental system for generating dynamic, reconfigurable forms. Using component studies and physical prototypes, a bi-stable wearable is created to demonstrate folding’s ability to produce flexible configurations that respond to environmental and user input. This wearable illustrates folding’s capacity to contribute both functional adaptability and aesthetic versatility. Through this work, folding is positioned as a powerful tool for adaptive, user-oriented design, fostering innovation in responsive architectural spaces.
GYNOCENTRIC SPACE: Matrifocal Architecture in Neolithic Europe and Anatolia
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-24) Myers, Katia
This thesis explores how gynocentric values shaped architecture from the Neolithic era, focusing on four regions across Europe and Anatolia: southern Türkiye, Malta, the British Isles, and the island of Crete. These cultures shared similarities in their religious beliefs, art, and architecture, and were connected through a shared history of migration. Each culture was characterized by matrifocal social structures: societies in which women held central and respected roles within both familial and social hierarchies, often emphasizing egalitarianism. Additionally, their spiritual practices revolved around the worship of a female divinity, akin to Mother Earth. Both of these attributes deeply influenced their architectural designs, resulting in the creation of gynocentric spaces. This thesis analyzes the architectural features of the four selected regions to uncover the defining characteristics of matrifocal architecture. In the analysis, four recurring themes have been identified, which served as the framework of this thesis. Firstly, many buildings resemble the form of the female body. These sites spatially resemble a womb, with an emphasis placed on interior spaces and voids. Several sites also mimic the rounded shapes of the belly, spine and full female body, often appearing curvilinear in shape. Secondly, Neolithic sites have an intimate relationship with the surrounding landscape. Buildings were built upon sites deemed sacred, or were oriented towards important landscape features, such as mountains, rivers, cliffs and valleys. Thirdly, Neolithic architecture reflected their cyclical view of time. Many sites align to key astronomical events, embedding solar, lunar, and stellar rhythms into the built environment. Lastly, Neolithic sites were designed to support embodied rituals. Their architectural forms reflect spiritual practices involving processions, movement, dance, and sound; experiences which fully engage the human body. This thesis proposes alternative approaches to architectural design by highlighting the interconnection between gender, nature, spirituality, and built form. By reconsidering the ways in which architecture once carried deep symbolic and societal significance, this thesis invites a dialogue on the role of meaning in design today.
A Place in Between. A study of the role emotions play in designing an architecture for teenagers.
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-23) Khan, Ilsa
There is a growing recognition that the atmosphere of spaces can influence well-being, and significantly affect one’s emotional response to them. A welcoming atmosphere, for instance, can evoke feelings of comfort, safety, and, inclusion. However, understanding how users respond to architectural spaces, whether welcoming or un-welcome, remains a challenge. This thesis will begin to explore these challenges specifically for the user group consisting of teenagers. This thesis is being driven by the following questions; How can spaces for adolescents be created that support their emotional health and well-being while aiding them in their developmental journey? Can these spaces be adapted to meet the diverse needs of this demographic without forcing a one-size-fits-all approach? It also raises the question, is it truly necessary to design such spaces? The aim for architecture is often to create environments that are inclusive for all. Yet, there can be an implicit expectation that every space should meet the needs of every unique demographic - a goal that, in reality, can be nearly impossible to achieve. Adaptability, defined as, the capacity to be modified for a new use or purpose, is key to addressing this issue. It also prompts the query: how can existing spaces be transformed to prioritize and cater specifically to the teenage population? The design proposal outlines a series of opportunities as architectural spaces, providing guidelines to better understand this demographic’s needs and to design environments that effectively meet them. By exploring how architectural spaces can better accommodate teenagers, the thesis begins recognizing their needs, acknowledging their role within the community, and fostering their personal and social development. Emphasizing the importance of adaptable and inclusive design, it proposes environments that actively support adolescent well-being.
Reassembling Moments in Aldershot Quarry, Burlington: A Narrative Outside of Time
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-23) Guo, Han
Just as stardust reassembles into life, Earth’s materials are continuously broken down, transported, and reshaped, whether by natural forces or human intervention. Quarrying represents a moment of acceleration in this process, where human activity directs the pace and scale of material redistribution. However, this also brings disputes between industry, environmental conservation, and local communities about environmental degradation, community impact, and resource over-extraction. The thesis reads the quarry from the perspective of material movements, understanding extraction sites as dynamic landscapes where geological, biological, and human-driven forces intersect. Treating site rehabilitation as a media to reveal the material movements. This thesis asks, “What are the design principles for revealing the assembly moments and integrating human activities into natural processes on a post-extraction landscape?” Aldershot Quarry is selected as the site because it contains ecologically sensitive areas and water systems, is close to transportation, and is part of a growing urban area. The site is a Queenstone shale quarry, which includes two active sites and an undeveloped one. The thesis focuses on the West Quarry and the existing Meridian Brick plant as the basis for the design proposal. This thesis explores three design principles: “Expose”, “Encounter”, and “Unfinish”. Expose identifies key elements in the Aldershot Quarry. Encounter defines spaces where visitors can read and experience material reassembly moments, integrating public interaction with the site evolving. Unfinish challenges conventional rehabilitation by leaving natural and social forces to shape the site beyond the designer’s control. These principles guide the thesis structure as well, transitioning from the research of material movements in a quarry to the site analysis of Aldershot Quarry, developing a design proposal that applies these principles to a quarry rehabilitation project. The design proposal engages with the existing extraction and rehabilitation process, integrating site-specific interventions to reappear reassembly moments by revealing material movements and ecological succession. Factory as the symbol of site memory, and the core elements push the materials movements, are regenerated as a community centre to invite the public to build connections with the site. Water strategies expand former quarry ponds into wetlands, reinforcing the local hydrological connectivity and improving water quality. Quarry landforms are preserved and reassembled into walking and cycling trails, making the naked geological surface an interactive experience. Some areas are left intentionally unfinished, fostering passive ecological succession and allowing plant and habitat regeneration. Inspired by the Memorial Park of IBC and Don Valley Brickworks Park, this approach balances natural adaptation with human intervention. By defining quarries as dynamic landscapes, this thesis challenges the traditional dichotomy between industrial extraction and natural restoration. The design proposal locates Aldershot Quarry as a site where material movements, ecological processes, and public engagement are gathered. Instead of treating quarries as land scars that need to be erased, the research identifies their potential as evolving spaces that bridge industrial heritage, ecological renewal, and material reassembly.
Optimizing Steel Connections in Spatial Structures: Prototyping Joinery with a Focus on Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing for Structural Efficiency and Fabrication
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-23) Rohail, Mahirah
Structural steel joints are a critical component in design that can determine the success of any architectural project. Steel connections are fundamental to architectural design, impacting structural integrity, safety, and aesthetic quality. While typical joints at a smaller scale have been mastered in the construction industry, developing unique structures in a larger context with custom joinery often creates challenges with accuracy, efficiency, and manufacturing cost. An alternative to conventional techniques is Additive Manufacturing (3D printing), which can efficiently develop optimized and intricate structural components while adhering to time and budget constraints. In particular, additively manufactured steel nodes are the prime focus of this research, which looks into developing joint designs derived from topology optimization to answer the question of whether the structural integrity can be maintained while focusing on the aesthetic appeal of the connection design. Currently, some experimentation is underway utilizing 3D-printed steel structures on a large scale. However, this stream is still relatively undeveloped and requires further exploration for efficiency and sustainability in the construction industry. The research focuses on developing small-scale prototypes of design iterations to eliminate ambiguities, selecting the more efficient design in terms of aesthetics, structure, and fabrication ability with the available technology. For this, ten experiments were done, which included six topology optimized joints and two simplified final joints, in addition to two sectional parts. The selected joint design was further tested for its key features using the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) with a six-axis robotic arm in two experiments that involved approximately twelve hours of total weld time. These tests specifically explored the impact of process parameters and the main features of the joint, including achieving curvature and examining the impact of gravity on the weld pool during the deposition process. The presented research provides critical insights into how curvature can be effectively achieved, while ensuring adequate integrity and structural performance. The findings from the presented experiments contribute to new possibilities of structural design to understand how different typologies of joints impact structural performance while not limiting design possibilities.
Architecture Between Commodification and Community: Navigating the Margins of Institutionalized Capitalism
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-22) Cai, Jason
As a professional practice and educational framework, architecture has been intertwined with nuanced capitalist systems prioritizing rigid hierarchies, production, and commodification over social agency and spatial adaptability. This thesis critically examines how pedagogy and practice can reinforce these instances of institutionalized capitalism, leading to the marginalization of people and their spaces. However, rather than viewing the margins as sites of exclusion, this study aims to reframe them as spaces of resistance, adaptability, and evolution. The research identifies three areas of interest based on Henri Lefebvre’s concepts of spatial production: the social, the physical, and the mental. And in doing so, it intends to do the following. The Social: Deconstruct institutionalized frameworks and reveal ways in which networks of actors continuously shape the built environment. The Physical: Examine the influence of static perceptions of architecture and its effect on the comprehension of space, built forms, and the processes of production. The Mental: Identify psychological perceptions of space, tendencies of control on spatial negotiations, and generational influence. These categories will explore alternative modes of architectural thought and practice that inherently challenge capitalist institutionalization by disrupting established norms and standards: Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Architectural Appropriation, and Tactical Urbanism serve as key approaches for navigating the margins, providing methods to engage with space within and beyond institutional boundaries. The University of Waterloo School of Architecture will act as a site of study, both spatially and socially, as it embodies an institution's structure while simultaneously attempting to resist its constraints. By applying these alternative theories, this thesis will promote a shift in institutionalized practices, enabling students to navigate and engage as both agents within the margins and participants within institutional frameworks. Furthermore, it underscores the potential and possibilities of operating within and across these spaces. In doing so, students can critically engage with and gain agency over their academic spaces while understanding its influence on community resilience. By mapping informal networks, understanding transient space, and experimenting with speculative interventions, a greater understanding of functional responses to institutionalized constraints can be established. By prioritizing process over production, collaboration over hierarchy, and agency over prescription, these explorations argue that working within the margins, rather than assimilating into dominant systems, lends itself to a critical reorientation of one's existence within architectural pedagogy and practice. Furthermore, it grounds the architect's role as an active participant in spatial negotiation rather than a passive agent of capitalist production. Rather than attempting to dismantle capitalism, this work examines how it subtly shapes architectural theory and practice. It repositions the architect beyond institutional constraints, emphasizing agency in education and space while fostering a deeper understanding of networks and communities. By exploring alternative approaches to learning, occupying, and designing, it seeks ways to navigate and challenge capitalist structures without being confined by them. By viewing the margins as spaces of potential rather than exclusion, this thesis reimagines architectural education and practice as systems of informality, improvisation, and adaptability.
Beyond Brutalism: Reimagining Manila's Folk Arts Theater
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-21) Del Rosario, Johannah-Gwyneth
This thesis proposes an adaptive reuse design that transforms a Brutalist monument called the Folk Arts Theater, and its surrounding site, into an institutional campus that surrounds the growing community of Metro Manila. Specifically, it proposes a restoration of the theater’s facade, structure and use, then an implementation of additional spaces around the site which honour the architectural legacy of the original theater in its materiality, structure and functional program. Brutalist buildings have become an integral part of every metropolitan city, and many of them are publicly hated upon. However, this public sentiment was not always negative. After World War II, many countries turned to modern architecture movements like Brutalism to not only repair destroyed cities, but also assert their national identities. The Philippines was among one of these countries as Filipino modern architects like Leandro Locsin, under the auspices of the Marcos regime during the 1970s-80s, would adopt the Brutalist style and change the urban fabric of Manila. Scholars and architects alike question the fate of these buildings today as their stakeholders struggle to maintain them. This thesis builds on the existing international discourse on the conservation of Brutalist architecture with Manila as a focus. It hopes to answer the question of how adaptive reuse can encourage the preservation of Brutalist buildings while addressing contemporary functional needs, especially in countries like the Philippines where these buildings have become embedded in their postcolonial history. A manifesto of design principles of Brutalist architecture will be proposed and applied to a site in Manila. The site of focus is the Folk Arts Theater located in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, an abandoned theater at risk for demolition.
Redefining Senior Housing: Architecture as a Catalyst for Health, Autonomy, and Community in Toronto
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-21) Fujita, Liam Connor
The urban environment is not seen as an ideal place to retire as housing is becoming increasingly less attainable in terms of affordability and availability. With an impending demographic shift of seniors estimated to rise in the coming years, a viable housing solution is more pressing. As of 2018, adults over 65 made up 17.4% of the Canadian population, but by projected estimates, this could rise to between 21.4% and 29.5% in 2068. As of 2016, over 60% of adults 65 and over in Toronto had one or more health complications, with numbers projected to rise in the following years. This creates great strain on hospital resources as the population ages and grows. Among seniors, the main priority is finding housing that enables them to age-in-community as the thought of long-term care (LTC) and retirement homes (RHs) are not desirable as they often signal the loss of self-autonomy and often require being displaced from their community. COVID-19 uncovered flaws in the senior housing system through high infection rates, aided by architecture not designed to cope with such circumstances. Following COVID-19, more studies began to draw on previous theories focusing on the psychological effects of architecture on its occupants and, more importantly, how it affects one’s health. Significant evidence points to exposure to nature as psychologically improving one’s mental and physical state. Notably, Roger S. Ulrich’s research in the design of healthcare facilities revealed that patients are discharged faster when exposed to nature within a hospital setting, requiring fewer antibiotics and pain relievers than those without a means of interacting with nature. By designing spaces prioritizing health, we can create places of refuge that promote health and well-being outside of a hospital setting. Many of these homes use "beds" as a metric to quantify resources, but this language may indirectly undermine the role that architecture plays as a part in elder care. How can architecture be a driving force in promoting health and fostering independence while supporting the maintenance of physical and cognitive function for seniors in urban Toronto?
Facing the Flood: Amphibious Architecture for Flood Resilience in Peguis, Manitoba
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-17) Holder, Alexa Megan
Floods are Canada's most common and costly natural hazard and flood risks are increasing due to climate change. When floods affect housing, they not only inflict economic and property damage but also displace residents from their homes and affect people’s sense of safety and community. Conventionally, settlements built in flood-prone regions are protected by flood control infrastructure, like levees, dikes, dams, and diversion channels. This infrastructure cannot easily or quickly respond to changing flood conditions and sometimes transfers flood risk rather than mitigating it equitably. We see this in Manitoba’s Interlake Region, where First Nations communities bear a disproportionate burden from water diversion to protect large urban centers. Where conventional solutions have failed and new tools are urgently needed, amphibious construction can provide an option for mitigation. Amphibious structures sit on dry land when water levels are normal, like an ordinary building. However, there is a buoyancy system, allowing the structure to float on the water in a flood. Vertical guidance, often posts, holds the building in place laterally while floating. When flood waters recede the building returns to its original position undamaged. Inspired by community members who wish to stay on their land despite flood risks, this thesis proposes amphibious architecture for a site in the First Nations Community of Peguis, Manitoba. Relocated to flood-prone land after a fraudulent land transfer in 1907, the community experiences chronic flooding. They faced several floods in the last two decades and had their worst flood on record in 2022, emphasizing the urgency of providing solutions for residents. This thesis examines this history and a specific site in Peguis, identifying key considerations for implementing amphibious architecture there. Then, it assesses existing amphibious architecture precedents, looking at how these projects address common challenges. Drawing insights from this analysis, this thesis proposes a prototype design for the site in Peguis.
Queer Arrival: Uncovering the Spatial Narratives of QTPOC Newcomers in Toronto
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-17) Liao, Simon
Toronto’s urban landscape is continuously shaped by immigrants, queer, and marginalized communities. Historically, immigrants have established ethnic “Arrival Cities” to foster mutual support, and queer communities have carved out queer spaces like the Church-Wellesley Village to cultivate safety, belonging, and visibility. Positioned at the intersectionality of marginalized identities, Queer and Trans People of Colour (QTPOC) newcomers are also actively contributing to the evolution of the urban landscape, giving rise to a new spatial typology – the “Queer Arrival City”. Existing research on Arrival Cities and queer enclaves remains constrained within narrow conceptual boundaries, overlooking the broader spectrum of urban arrival. Arrival Cities are typically examined through an ethnic minority lens, focusing on neighbourhood dynamics, while queer enclaves are studied predominantly from a white, middle-class gay male perspective. These approaches neglect the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and class in the production of diasporic spaces, leaving QTPOC newcomers underrepresented in both academic and public spheres. This thesis addresses these gaps by uncovering the spatial narratives of Toronto’s QTPOC newcomers in constructing their “Queer Arrival City”. It specifically examines how QTPOC newcomers navigate Toronto’s built environment and the role of the Church-Wellesley Village in their migration. Furthermore, it explores the design of a public space that materializes QTPOC newcomers’ spatial narratives as a place of belonging and visibility. This research employs a Queer of Colour Methodology (QOCM) integrated with Participatory Action Research (PAR) to foreground intersectionality and actively engage QTPOC newcomers in both the research and design process. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from three phases of community engagement - surveys, interviews, and focus groups, this thesis introduces the novel “Queer Arrival” framework, encompassing both infrastructural and individualized spatial typologies, while articulating a collective “Queer Diaspora Spatial Consciousness” in inhabiting public space. The research culminates in a design proposal shaped by the active contribution and lived experiences of QTPOC newcomers. Ultimately, by positioning QTPOC newcomers as the primary holders of knowledge production, this thesis fosters an inclusive, community-driven research environment and design process, while prioritizing QTPOC newcomers’ empowerment and agency in shaping their future built environment.
SWAMPY URBANISM: Make a Little Room for the Elbow River
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-11) Wu, Leo
The City of Calgary is known for its flood issues, and the oldest flood recorded can be dated back to 1879. To reduce and potentially eliminate the inundation threats, the city has commissioned numerous dams and reservoirs to alter the hydrological cycle in exchange for security, electricity, and water supply. Thanks to the protection of these grey infrastructures, the city was able to develop and expand rapidly. However, despite the massive concrete barriers that were built to shelter the city from inundation, catastrophic events continue to occur within the city. In the case of the 2013 Calgary flood, the Bow River had reached eight times its regular flow and the Elbow River peaked at twelve times its normal flow rate. This was one of the largest floods in Canadian history which recorded four to six billion dollars of financial losses. Part of the reason for such severe overland flood damage was the increase in developments and urban growth in floodplain-designated zones during the periods when floods are managed. The infrastructural approach has become a double-edged sword that projected a false sense of security and encouraged developments adjacent to the river. With the pressing concerns of climate change and the increased frequency of floods in the past few decades, contemporary urbanism needs to find a new strategy to embrace the challenges of environmental shifts. The fundamental cause of the problem is that current Canadian societies treat water and land as separate entities, where the land dominates over water. This is reflected throughout our maps and urban design approaches where water is limited within certain boundaries. However, this narrative does not necessarily represent reality as water exists everywhere, the only difference is in quantities and forms. This limited understanding of rivers has constrained us from truly fostering a bond between nature and cities, where the current urban flood mitigation strategies attempt to shelter our societies from the forces of nature rather than adapting to the rhythm. Therefore, this thesis challenges the traditional view of water and aims to imagine a hydrological urban planning strategy that emphasizes on coexisting with water. There are two types of floods in Calgary: river floods and stormwater floods. The Room for the River is a great strategy to create space for water to overflow, which was invented by the Dutch to manage flooding. On the other hand, Sponge City from China has proven to be effective for rainwater management by creating a more permeable landscape that will temporarily absorb the overflow and release it slowly over time. In addition to these landscape flood mitigation strategies, the core focus of this thesis centers on the Landscape of Retreat Theory—voluntarily vacating flood-prone areas— which addresses the root causes of vulnerability. Given the current circumstances, where both flood exposure and the costs of insurance are increasing, retreating from the floodplain provides long-term economic, environmental and social benefits. As a result, this thesis will explore the creation of a more resilient urban terrain in Calgary by examining all the listed strategies. Additionally, local landscape projects by the O2 Planning + Design Firm will be referenced to ensure the design outcome of this thesis aligns with local contexts. By adopting the Retreat approach, the thesis will culminate into a proposal for urban strategies that integrate the exemplary practices provided, ultimately strengthening flood resiliency by adapting to the rhythm of the Elbow River in Calgary.
MATERIAL WORKS: Optimizing Material Circularity through Reversing Architecture
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-09) Hur, Yoon
“Material Works” posits the largest abandoned industrial landscape in the Niagara region — the former General Motors Plant site — as a key infrastructure to circulate the existing building stocks for city scale reuse in St. Catharines, Ontario. The city’s building permits issued in 2023-2024 were analyzed to examine buildings registered for demolition and to build a database of materials to be reused if deconstructed. This initial study informed the design of the facility, in its scale, aesthetics and programmatic organization. The half-demolished GM structure, with a former building footprint of 38,000m2, is transformed to a circularity hub to address the city’s potential reusable building material stock. The architecture provides spaces for people to train in deconstruction, salvaged materials to be processed for resale, and designers to demonstrate their potential for architectural re-application. With circulation of materials as the central motif, agencies essential in facilitating circular activities are imagined to co-exist in one physical site to develop approaches to create more sustainable, closed-loop metabolic systems of materials. The building industry constitutes nearly a quarter of the global waste stream, and with Ontario’s landfills projected to reach capacity by 2032, the movement and uncertain destination of materials remain critical environmental concerns. In the quest for a sustainable architectural future, where construction’s inherent destructiveness contrasts with the demand for densification, focus shifts toward assessing the residual value of existing urban building stocks within the Anthropogenic landscape. This paradigm shift from the current linear to a circular construction model protects the architectural heritage of our urban fabric from rapid erasure while optimizing resource efficiency. This thesis explores design interventions and industry practices that replace the 21st century’s planned-obsolescence-thinking with reuse, contributing to the discourse of material circularity to address the environmental and cultural resiliency in architecture.
An Architecture of Happiness: Home in Harry Potter
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-08) de Jeu, Claire
This thesis seeks to explore the architectural value of fantasy spaces, their ability to create home places for their audience, and the design insights they offer to the discipline of architecture. Any home, whether imagined or physical, exists to evoke emotional comfort, human connection, and positive experiences, ideas which are central to the larger field of architecture and design. Fantasy worlds have often been overlooked by architectural scholars, despite that storyworlds have always created home refuges for their audience: freeing stifled imaginations, touching hearts and minds with deep emotion, and providing relief from real-world conflicts, agitation or boredom. This thesis begins to bridge the gap between architecture and fantasy worlds by evaluating the architectural setting in Harry Potter as a legitimate home place, one which can bring real emotional and psychological benefits to its dwellers. By investigating the use of narrative emotions and the imaginary construction of settings, the world of Harry Potter can reveal new design perspectives which evolve and broaden the potential of real-world architecture and home design.
The Voice that Travels from Vessels to Other Worlds: Extracting Narratives from the Cave of the Sibyl
(University of Waterloo, 2025-04-02) Drmac, Vanessa; Haldenby, Eric; Bissett, Tara, 1951-
From caves, leaves, dust, to ampullae, the Sibyl of Cumae’s voice has travelled far from vessels and into other story-worlds in various material forms. While practicing as a female prophet in classical antiquity, her origin possesses no definite beginning but only allusions to an incomplete identity and liminal persona. The Sibyl of Cumae’s uncertain characteristics have rendered her an ideal figure for speculative interpretation over time, particularly through stories. Based on Vergil’s famous account in the Aeneid, the Sibyl of Cumae was imagined to be dispersing prophecies from inside a subterranean architecture: a cave in the ancient city of Cumae, Italy. With increasing interpretations of the Sibyl dealt through time, writers from the past have provided her material presence while oncoming generations continue to mold it to create something new amongst her absence. This thesis will critically examine the evolution of the Sibyl of Cumae’s character in a selection of seven texts from two separate timelines. Reading Vergil’s Aeneid, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Petronius’s Satyricon, Mary Shelley’s The Last Man, Gerard Manley Hopkins’s Spelt from Sibyl’s Leaves, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, I find varied interpretations of this Sibyl united by a shared theme of isolation. Isolation, or the condition of separateness, becomes a motif to study in this thesis through form, material, emotion, and narrative. I unravel varied meanings and representations of isolation in the selected texts by examining the qualities of objects and architecture that have been associated with the Sibyl of Cumae in them including the cave, dust, ampulla, leaves, cage, and jar. I distinguish the qualities of decay, silence, and visibility from these objects and study their prominence across settings, characters and objects in the selected texts. This leads me to recognize how the Sibyl of Cumae has adapted into something beyond a corporeal presence by proxy of material entities of the physical world.
From For To With: Towards an Allographic Approach in Architecture
(University of Waterloo, 2025-02-13) Fournier, Marc-; Bissett, Tara
Although transformations to buildings are inevitable, architecture often aims to achieve idealized, finalized artifacts that refute the passage of time. This professional bias towards temporality – or the problem of permanence – creates and perpetuates non-reciprocal relationships between architects, users, and the built environment that often results in the exploitation and alienation of the people the discipline attempts to serve. By examining architecture's failure to account for diverse temporalities, this research sheds light on the ways in which architects overlook their potential to cultivate meaningful social interactions with the built environment. The architect’s role, therefore, needs to be redefined as a translator of collective desires and needs, as a designer of structures that promote agency and empower individuals to engage with their environments. This paradigm shift implies an inquiry into the architect’s conventional design apparatus and the expansion of its scope to include tools that embrace temporality and contingency as key variables. The thesis proposes a shift in focus from the production of artifacts to the design of architectural scores inspired by allographic arts. Allographic thinking shifts the emphasis from end product to process; forcing a renegotiation of author-designer / performer-user relationships, focusing on affordances and obstacles, favoring user agency, and embracing contingency. The context of the Habitations Jeanne-Mance, a post-war social housing in Montréal, acts as a case study for an exploration of the disciplinary problems of permanence, alienation, and non-reciprocity, as well as the testing ground for a speculative design intervention that integrates allographic thinking into architecture to create a system that promotes user participation, indeterminacy, and reciprocal relationships between residents and their built environment.
The Architecture of Grief: Representing the Evolution of Shia Mourning Spaces and Contributions to Islamic Architecture
(University of Waterloo, 2025-02-13) Rizvi, Inam Zehra; Van Pelt, Robert Jan
In Shia Islam, commemorative mourning rituals for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, have undergone a process of evolution over the past 1,400 years. In documenting the evolution of the typology of the Shia Mosque, we find that its programs are directly related to the mourning rituals and symbolic icons that they house. This evolution is marked by the migration of material and visual forms to new lands, and its resultant replications vary in their scale and in their accuracy, often interacting and absorbing the cultural underpinnings of the region it occupies. This process reflects the spatiotemporal re-imagining of the phenomenology of “parallel pilgrimages” that captivates generations of Muslims. This thesis aims to explore these practices by focusing on ritual architectural events such as craft-making, mosaic arts, processions, and the creation of replica shrines. With the aim to demystify the current Shia practices and their distinctions from universal mosque spaces, a design approach focused on religious and cultural contributions on this form of collective grief and remembrance can have an opportunity to provide a space for clarity and education for what is a heavily stigmatized practice.

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