For nearly two decades, MSS Architects has played a steady and influential role in supporting students at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. Their commitment to hiring emerging talent has grown into a multifaceted partnership that continues to shape student experiences, professional pathways, and the culture of architectural education at Waterloo.
Since 2007, MSS has welcomed more than a dozen Waterloo architecture co‑op students into their practice. Their ongoing participation has created far more than a temporary training opportunity; it has built a reliable pipeline for graduates entering the field. Students have described their terms at MSS as a formative experience where they can test ideas, apply their studio learning, and collaborate directly with architects engaged in projects rooted in regional identity and long-term community impact.
Their commitment to student success is reflected in the MSS Architects Graduate Scholarship for Locally Focused Architecture, an award that supports graduate researchers whose work deepens connections between design and local context. The scholarship underscores a shared value between the firm and the school: the belief that architecture is most meaningful when shaped by place, community, and lived experience.
Over the years, the firm’s architects have also served as guest critics in design studios, bringing thoughtful, grounded perspectives to student work. Their participation has become a regular and welcome part of studio culture, offering students constructive insight from practitioners who balance design vision with the realities of building in the communities they serve.
At the heart of MSS’s engagement is a philosophy that resonates strongly with the school: architecture thrives through listening, collaboration, and enduring relationships. Known for their approach to “visionary, enduring architecture,” the firm blends global design influences with a distinctly regional sensibility.
For the School of Architecture, partnerships like this provide essential opportunities for students to learn, experiment, and grow within supportive professional environments. They connect academic inquiry with real-world design challenges. And they help ensure that graduates enter the profession with confidence, experience, and a sense of purpose.