DAS thrives at RAIC Conference

Students and faculty from TMU’s Department of Architectural Science (DAS) earned awards, mobilized knowledge, and presided over distinguished events at the 2025 conference of the Royal Architectural Institute of Architects (RAIC), held in Montreal from June 1-4, 2025. This annual event brings together the architectural community from across Canada and abroad for inspiring keynotes, continuing education sessions, exhibitions, tours, awards ceremonies, and socials. 

CASA – the Canadian Architecture Students Association – hosted a session: "Mobilizing Student Voices: Shaping Architectural Discourse in Canada,” involving DAS student panelists Arvin Ashouri (4th year), Dharshana Muhunthan (BArchSc 2024), and Olivia Nunn (M.Arch 2025). Arvin, Dharshana and Olivia presented the 2025 student-led Canadian Architecture Forums on Education (C.A.F.E.), which was held at the DAS building in January on the topic of housing. 

CASA also contributed to the RAIC Conference through its coordination of the annual National Student Work Showcase (external link) , which included TMU finalist Alexander Volyk with his project, The Synergy Residence (external link) . Several projects by DAS students were selected for inclusion on the CASA website: including by Anh Hoang (external link) , Isobel Morris (external link) , Kaia Vanaselja (external link) , Charilaos Georgakopoulos Tolis (external link) , Heba Al-Fayez (external link) , Cuejun Choi (external link) , Massimo Montanari (external link) , Luis Frias and Pina Daher (external link) , 

Looking ahead, TMU’s Arvin Ashouri, as the new CASA Vice President, is excited to participate in the 2026 RAIC conference, which will bring the student work showcase to Vancouver. CASA is dedicated to fostering student opportunities and strengthening the connection between emerging architects and established professionals.

At the RAIC Foundation Student Scholarships session, M.Arch student Elaine Nahil was one of two students nationally to receive the RAIC Bing Thom Award (external link)  for her essay describing how a single building can be transformative. The award is named in memory of the renowned Vancouver-based architect and is dedicated to his belief that students should pursue purposeful change. 

According to Elaine, “This recognition affirms a belief that has shaped a lot of my design work outside of this submission: that architecture’s most powerful transformations often happen at the smallest scales; in shaded classrooms, community-built spaces, and places where design uplifts daily life.”

Awards for DAS students did not stop there. MArch thesis student Florencia IV (Vince) Tameta was the recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) medal for TMU, and Southwest Ontario Fellows Scholarship. His thesis explores Philippine architecture as a reflection of cultural resilience and evolving identity shaped by history and globalization. It reveals how Filipino architecture transforms through the interplay of tradition and external influences, embodying the nation’s enduring spirit.

Elaine, Vince and others were acknowledged at the RAIC College of Fellows Gathering at Massey College on June 12, 2025, along with TMU 2025 RAIC Honour Roll students, Eric Cheung, Emma Chudoba, Olivia Nunn and Jillian Sproul, and TMU’s 2024 winners - Sam Sabzevari (Medal), Jessica Gu, Anna Kosichenko, and Christian Maidankine (Honour Role). For more on the RAIC College event see here (external link) .

DAS students made a strong impression at the 2025 American Institute of Architecture Canada Society Student Design Awards, which were also announced at the RAIC conference. Luke De Bartolo earned second place for Waakaa’igan – A New Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, a thoughtful proposal that respectfully reimagines Indigenous cultural presence in the city. Todd Collis was awarded third place for Amherst Commons: A Rural Community Hub, a project fostering connection and resilience in rural Ontario. 

Adding to the DAS presence at the event, Arvin Ashouri and DAS alumnus Dharshana Muhunthan helped support the awards ceremony, bringing TMU’s student spirit and strength to Montreal. These awards celebrate excellence in architectural design across Canadian schools and highlight the continued creativity and talent coming out of TMU. For more on the AIA Canada student winners, see here (external link) .

DAS Faculty also participated in the RAIC conference. Sessional instructor and studio director at Two Row Architect, Erik Skouris, presented as part of the Academic Summit, alongside researchers from other Canadian architecture schools. Erik’s talk on the Social Justice panel, entitled “More Than Consultation: Design Justice as Responsibility, Relationship and Renewal” presented a call to reimagine architectural education through Indigenous world views, centering community-led design, storytelling and process over products.

DAS Chair Lisa Landrum, and partner Ted Landrum hosted a book launch with Alberto Pérez-Gómez, who read from his latest publication, An Alliterative Lexicon of Architectural Memories (external link) . Widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in architectural history and theory, Pérez-Gómez is known for his deeply humanistic and phenomenological approach, as well as for founding the History and Theory of Architecture program at McGill University that has shaped generations of thinkers across Canada and beyond. Through evocative definitions and personal anecdotes, he revealed the layered memories of language. With care and generosity, Lisa and Ted created an atmosphere that invited curiosity, connection, and celebration among all who gathered.

Finally, Prof. Yew-Thong Leong presided as Dean of the RAIC College of Fellows, to welcome 43 new and five Honorary Fellows into the College. Yew-Thong also oversaw the posthumous induction of His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV as an Honorary Fellow, celebrating his profound global impact on architecture, culture, and humanitarian development.