Organized by DesignTO in partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects, ‘Ideas Forum: Architecture of Imagined Spaces’ features five fast-paced presentations (20 slides shown for 20 seconds each) exploring the intersection of real and virtual built environments. How can we think architecturally in digital realms? What are the consequences of inhabiting virtual worlds? How can technology help expand our (architectural) imagination? What are the implications of the shrinking gap between virtual and non-virtual worlds on labour, safety, and authorship?

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A certificate for 1 hour of OAA ConEd will be issued to registered attendees who request it with their RSVP for the event and sign in to the event.

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‘Ideas Forum: Architecture of Imagined Spaces’ is organized by DesignTO in partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects, with media partner AZURE Magazine.

DesignTO is a non-profit arts organization that brings people together to design a better future, one that is more sustainable, just, and joyful. We curate exhibitions, presentations and educational programming to increase the public’s knowledge and appreciation of design.

Speakers

With an Honours Bachelor of Computer Science and a Master of Architecture, Yusef R. Frasier has a broad array of skills that allow him to engage technically and creatively on a wide range of project types. As owner of SUPERGRAPHIQ LIMITED, an 3-D image creation company, he works with an international network of teams on creative topics such as composition, design, storytelling, and art direction. Yusef is adept at learning new software, process development, and incorporating new technology into his digital practice.

Sara M. Grimes, PhD, is the director of the Kids Play Tech Lab, the Bell University Labs Chair in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and a Full Professor in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. She is a globally recognized expert on children’s digital play and creativity who frequently collaborates across sectors to help build child-inclusive, rights-based, and ethical technology designs and policies. Her award-winning book, ‘Digital Playgrounds: The Hidden Politics of Children’s Online Play Spaces, Virtual Worlds, and Connected Games’, was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2021.

Weihan Vivian Lee is a registered architect in the U.S. and Canada, and an educator at University of Toronto, Daniels Faculty. As a founding partner of LAMAS, Vivian brings to the studio her research on the role of craft in the age of digital architecture.

Jay Pooley is a Toronto-based art director and journeyman carpenter. His work demonstrates expertise in the design and rapid construction of complex sets, installations and special effects for film production on a global scale. Jay is the co-steward of the Toronto Architecture Lobby and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto where he coordinates the largest undergraduate architecture studio in North America along with a Design-Build program.

You+Pea is the architectural design studio of Sandra Youkhana and Luke Caspar Pearson. Their work integrates videogame technologies with architectural design, leading conversations on how games can engage new participants in the design of spaces. Their research into games as architectural environments underpins their recent book, ‘Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds’ (Thames & Hudson). Sandra and Luke are also Associate Professors at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, teaching in the Cinematic and Videogame Architecture program.