McGill University Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture

Join us in room 206 on May 6th at 4 pm for, Archival Lives of Architecture, organized by Matthew Allen. Kai Wang and Ying Wang, from Tongji University examine how architectural archives are being actively constructed and re-interpreted in contemporary China. Through case studies of institutional collections and state-owned design institutes, the talks position the archive not as a passive repository but as a site of reading, curation, teaching, and design cognition. Together, they open a discussion on historiography, authorship, and the production of architectural knowledge across institutional contexts.

Congratulations to our graduating M2 students who presented their final projects last week. Don’t miss the final presentations from our M1 and undergraduate students happening this week.

Final Presentation Schedule
April 22 - U1, Architectural Graphics and Elements of Design, Room 114
April 22 and 23 - M1, Architectural Design Studio, Room 101 and 5th Floor
April 23, U2, Design and Construction, Room 215
April 23, U2, Design and Construction, First and Third Floor

Finals reviews start this week, a moment for students to present their hard work from throughout the semester.

Image – A collection of M2 review brochures from across the years
graphic designed by Atelier Pastille Rose

Thank you GASA for organizing last week’s exhibition exploring the history of McGill architecture merchandise. .gasa

Congratulations to everyone who presented their work during final reviews, and thank you to the students, faculty, and guests who provided thoughtful feedback.

Work from this year’s Sketching School is on display in the exhibition room. 2025’s Sketching School, led by Professor David Covo with assistance from M. Arch student Nicholas Santoianni, took place in Quebec City and led students through seven days of field sketching, including workshops and group critiques.

Sketching school celebrates the continued importance of hand sketching, as Professor David Covo wrote on the importance of sketching, “Short or long, the act of making the drawing defines a relationship with the place that is usually not possible with mechanical forms of documentation – like tablets and most cameras – that literally come between the observer and the subject. The rituals associated with sketching provide an intellectual and physical framework for our encounters with environments that interest us. The drawings that we produce record not only what we saw but also what we were thinking and what we know.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to see work from Professor Ipek Türeli’s winter 2025 M1 studio, now on display on the 5th floor of Macdonald-Harrington. The studio, Montreal by Night: Nighttime Design for/with Marginalized Communities, examines after-hours spaces where communities and care take place. Students designed their own “night care spaces” in the form of a “night town hall” as recently proposed by MTL 24/24.

The work, including videos and models, by students Ishaan Anand, Bronwyn Bell, Anastasia Cubasova, Hayla Eliaji, Bianca Hacker, Gael Haddad, Qiqi Liu, Darshini Mahesh Babu, Karine Payette, Nicholas Santoianni, Jérémy Turbide, and Jessica Villarasa, will be on display until Jun 4th.

Poster artwork by Hayla Eliaji

McGill architecture students had the opportunity to tour Montreal architecture firms last week. Thank you to the Architecture Student Association (ASA) and the Graduate Architecture Student Association (GASA) for organizing, and to ACDF Architecture, Daily Tous le Jours, Chevailier Morales, and GKC Architecture and Design for inviting students into their offices.

Congratulations to our Graduate Program Director Prof. Theodora Vardouli on winning the Faculty of Engineering 2024 Outstanding Academic Service Award. The award recognizes her strong contributions to academic communities inside and outside McGill University. Yesterday, Dean Yargeau presented the award plaque wearing the sweatshirt designed by Taylor Wasserman, celebrating four women professors in our school.

Congratulations to Prof David Theodore on his re-appointment as Director of the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture for a three-year term, from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2027! In a memo to faculty and staff on 13 May, Viviane Yargeau, Dean of the McGill Faculty of Engineering, expressed her strong support for Prof Theodore.

It’s not an easy job. Responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day operations, managing resources, and fostering the development of faculty and staff. A big thank you to David Theodore for his willingness to continue serving in this role and for his ongoing commitment to the school, faculty, and university.