Human/Nature: Architectural Installations Building Value(s)

The Department of Architecture Science (DAS) at Toronto Metropolitan University contributed to AZURE’s Human/Nature conference (external link)  at Evergreen Brick Works that gathered architects, designers, and students to engage in critical conversations about design and climate action. Through thought-provoking installations, DAS faculty and students brought attention to the values, narratives, and material impact that shape our built environment. Under the theme “Building Value(s)”, curated by AZURE’s Stefan Novakovic, the installations collectively questioned what we preserve, what we demolish, and why.

Photos by Stenzo Martin

Toronto-based architecture firm Giaimo (external link) , led by DAS instructor Joey Giaimo, collaborated with graduate students to present Houses Worth, a study of the carbon loss caused by large-scale demolition. The installation illustrated the embodied carbon loss by translating the demolition of a single tower into the equivalent carbon footprint of hundreds of single-family homes, making the environmental impact visible, tangible, and relatable. This provocative model critiqued the trends of North American city-building exacerbated by demolition, tabula rasa development, and facadism, along with raising concerns about the premature loss of mid-late-century architecture before it can even be considered as heritage. 

Photos by Doublespace Photography

DAS instructor Monica Hutton, in collaboration with Doublespace Photography and members of the tenant collective No Demovictions, presented an intimate yet powerful portrait series exploring the lives of tenants in buildings slated for demolition. The project titled Units of Value revealed the far-reaching impacts of profit-driven redevelopment -- from tenant displacement and pressure on the affordable housing market to environmental waste -- and challenged the assumption that demolition equates to progress. Alongside the embroidered series SQFT (Some Quotes from Tenants), the scenes of comfort and community found in the photographed homes highlighted the richness of life embedded in rental housing and invited the viewers to reconsider how and where value is truly found. More information on No Demovictions can be found at www.nodemovictions.ca (external link) .

Photos by Kyle Do Couto

Lastly, DAS Associate Professor Julia Jamrozik and graduate students presented Narratives of Collectivity, an installation that mapped the memory of the Evergreen Brick Works, the very site of the conference. Decals traced across the floor revealed layers of memory and use, reminding visitors of the events and stories embedded in the site. The footprints represented the multitude of narratives the building holds, underscoring the importance of care for places like the brickworks, both for the past and for the future. This installation was part of a larger research/creation project funded by the SSHRC Insight Development Grant that examines representational methods for the narratives of buildings that are both examples of social infrastructures and of adaptive reuse, including several case studies such as the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto and the SESC Pompeia in São Paulo.

Together, these contributions reflected and represented the Department of Architectural Sciences' commitment  to expanding architecture’s role in engaging with the social, environmental, cultural, and heritage values. By situating architecture within the broader narratives of memory, material stewardship, and community, the installations invited the conference attendees to question and help shape a more responsible built environment.

According to Kyle Do Couto (MArch Year 2), “Collaborating on the installation and taking part in the conference reminded me that architecture has the power to fuel conversations that drive meaningful change. It was exciting to see our work alongside industry professionals who are aligned with our approach to thinking about climate, narratives, and community.“

Projects and Collaborators:

Houses Worth
Giaimo, Joey Giaimo
DAS Student Team: Samanta Ayala, Anahita Kawale, Stenzo Martin, Elaine Nahli, Dean Roumanis, Shanali Tewarapperuma

Units of Value
Monica Hutton, Doublespace Photography, No Demovictions

Narratives of Collectivity
Julia Jamrozik
DAS Student Team: Santino D’Angelo Rozas, Kyle Do Couto, Teagan Hyndman, Hyo Yeon (Tiana) Lee