Waterloo Architecture Students Win Top Honours at GVSA Student Competition

Hespeler Symposion by Matthias Pahlavi and Sophie Spiegl (3A Design Studio) impressed judges and the public alike, earning dual recognition for its innovative approach to collaborative design.

This project reimagines an old warehouse into a vibrant Food Hub, where the central philosophy is that good food leads to good living. This ethos not only shapes the physical design but also informs the social dynamics within the space. By combining housing, food production, and  communal areas, the project creates a setting where residents and visitors can gather, share, and connect over food, fostering a sense of belonging and interaction across generations.

The design challenges traditional architectural typologies by moving away from isolated, single-use developments. Instead, it proposes a multifaceted space that merges public and private uses, allowing for the seamless integration of food markets, community kitchens, dining areas, and educational spaces. This approach provides a platform for residents of all ages to engage in the preparation and consumption of food, learning and growing together in ways that strengthen the community fabric.

The project supports ETOD by making sure essential services are accessible and central to daily life. It redefines the role of housing by creating flexible, adaptable spaces that encourage multigenerational living and cooperative arrangements. In doing so, the building fosters a dynamic environment where mobility, interaction, and learning thrive.

Through this integrated design, this project not only re-envisions the warehouse as a functional, sustainable space but also revitalizes the communal spirit of Hespeler, creating a space where food and shared experiences drive both individual well-being and collective vitality.

Takwaxíikaan (Turtle House) by Jackson Adams, Leif Lovlin, and Sophie (Jinhong) Rioux stood out for its imaginative interpretation of cultural and spatial narratives. The project was developed in Professor David Fortin's ARCH393 studio, CENTERing the Lenape Nation.

Nestled in the unceded territories of Lenapehoking, what is now known as Brooklyn, New York, a turtle is centered as the beacon for reinforcing a contemporary Lenape identity. The turtle’s story is twofold; a being that emerged as the host of life on land and a creature that carefully reveals itself with intention. Takwaxíikaan (Turtle House), in Prospect Park, serves as an epicentre for Lenape/Lunaapeew re-emergence – a diasporic homecoming to Lenapehoking and a vessel for self-creation. Interpreting this story into a zoomorphic cultural centre, Takwaxíikaan becomes a host for Lenape communities to work towards a decolonized future, sovereignty, and reconciliation with ongoing colonial relations. Central to Takwaxíikaan is a flexible pow wow arbor and following traditional big house ceremony dances, additional programs radiate out in a counterclockwise motion.

Lenape Elder and knowledge keeper. As our "clients", the brief was to create a turtle building, with Niagara's Turtle (Native American Center for the Living Arts) as precedent. 

We are proud that our design could realize a zoomorphic turtle form that was requested by our collaborators, despite the architectural inclination to translate "concepts" only abstractly. With conviction in Takwaxíikaan's aspirations, we challenged ourselves to design beyond a colonial mindset and translate the teachings shared with us.

Moving Cities, created in ARCH 392: Intergenerational Urban Motility and Housing, by Jessica Wang and Jessica Jia, was celebrated for its technical precision and thoughtful execution.

This project reimagines housing as a flexible, modular system designed for urban resilience, affordability, and human connection. Our design is rooted in principles of mobility, sustainability, and co-operative governance, it utilizes repurposed shipping containers to create customizable living units that are transportable, stackable, and adaptive. What sets this vision apart is our commitment to emotional continuity. Residents don’t just rent a space; they build a relationship with their personal module. Whether relocating for work, family, or life changes, people can bring their unit with them, preserving memories, personalization, and comfort that traditional rental homes often lack. The modular home can accommodate large multi-generational households, as well as young workers and students who don’t need much space; and because each module is created from recycled shipping containers, it makes them a much more affordable option than a traditional apartment. It’s a prototype for a new kind of housing, economically accessible, environmentally regenerative, and emotionally sustainable.

The Honourable Mention in the Collaborative Category was awarded to Rivercourt Commons by Megan Sobkowich and Mariem Saad. A project created in ARCH 392: Intergenerational Urban Motility and Housing, taught by Professor David Fortin.

Rivercourt Commons is a community-oriented housing cooperative that emphasizes intergenerational motility and cultural placemaking. Located across from the Grand River, its landscaping and public courtyard extend towards the waterfront, creating interconnectedness between residents and the natural environment. Locally owned shops along Ainslie and Water Street activate the site at ground level, creating an energetic atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. The courtyard provides a space for these businesses to spill into, with a plaza adjacent to the market, a playground for the daycare and patios serving restaurants and cafés.

Shared amenity spaces on the upper floors provide spaces for physical recreation, studying, reading, creating and engaging in social events. Being located near the top of the building, these spaces guide residents to the accessible green roof, which provides spaces for lounging, dining, cultivating vegetables and tending to gardens filled with native plant species with medicinal properties. These practices aim to promote concepts of the commons, food sovereignty, and connection to the land.

The building’s form consists of a central mass with an atrium and two arms which extend towards the river. The main atrium building targets intergenerational living and student housing, placing a greater emphasis on shared spaces and opportunities for spontaneous interactions with neighbours. The single-loaded corridor wraps around the atrium with interior balconies that protrude into the void and lounge areas below. The family wings branch westward and provide quieter areas for families away from the liveliness of the atrium building. The single-loaded corridor typology allows balconies to be placed on optimal facades, always facing into the courtyard or towards the river. Rivercourt Commons anchors itself to Galt’s historic context both through its connection with the downtown’s urban fabric and to the land’s traditional cultures and practices.

The Honourable Mention award in the Technical Category went to Community Roots Innovation Kitchen by Caelan Shaw. A project created in ARC327 Less Than One during Caelan's 3B Exchange Term at Ulster University Belfast Campus

Located in Dundalk, Ireland, the Great Northern Distillery is geographically and physically separated from the urban core by a walled perimeter. This proposal removes the boundary walls and car park to introduce an urban orchard and innovation kitchen café, extending from the original office building.

Rooted in holistic sustainability, the project emphasizes adaptive reuse, preserving the buildings historic character while introducing new, community-focused programming. A rentable, commercial-grade kitchen supports small, local businesses and showcases their products in a shared café and storefront space. Its open layout enables community workshops and food-supplied events using locally sourced ingredients, including whiskey-based products created by local start-ups using the distillery’s green and malted whiskey.

The proposal prioritizes sustainability through regionally sourced building materials, clean and renewable energy strategies, and climate-adaptive systems. Excess heat and vapour from distillery operations are recaptured for use in the café and kitchen, while on-site rainwater is treated and reused for irrigation and greywater systems. The new public realm includes an urban apple orchard and shaded gathering spaces that enhance the existing cherry trees and benches along the site’s southeast edge, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment rooted in community, heritage, and sustainable innovation.