To read the full story and view images, follow the link to Exploring Woven Relations at the Forks.

At the heart of Shirin’s project lies a profound synthesis of culture, history, and urban revitalization. Situated amidst the streets of Guatemala City, her design highlights collaborative ingenuity, drawing from the city’s rich visual landscape and ancient Mayan heritage. Inspired by the sacred Ceiba tree and gilded with architectural motifs reminiscent of Mayan temples, the project seamlessly combines modernity with tradition. Central to Shirin’s vision is the integration of the project within Guatemala City’s neglected railway station area, serving as a catalyst for urban rejuvenation. Through extensive research and collaboration, she navigated the complex legacy of conquest, colonization, and the conflict of the 1960s-90s, infusing her design with an understanding of historical and cultural nuances.

“Being named a finalist in the architecture competition is a significant honor for me. It validates my hard work and dedication, and it provides an incredible opportunity to showcase my design philosophy on a larger stage. This recognition also inspires me to work harder and strive for the ultimate goal of winning in future competitions.”

Born and raised in Iran, Shirin moved to Winnipeg two years ago after completing her first master’s degree in architecture in her home country. She is a second-year student in the Master of Architecture program, a part of the team at LM Architectural Group | Environmental Space Planning in Winnipeg and will graduate in October 2024. Shirin is passionate about introducing innovative ideas into design projects and is particularly interested in how history and culture can influence contemporary architecture. She aims to integrate these elements into modern designs, expressing them in a contemporary context.

Shirin’s project is a result of Professor Ralph Stern and Mackenzie Skoczylas’s 2022-2023 Guatemala Studio course which primarily addressed Indigenous issues in an urban context: ‘The history of the Maya in relation to world view, conquest, colonization, post-colonial mechanisms of exploitation and repression, and measures taken for Truth and Reconciliation was examined through the research undertaken during the first part of the Studio.’

The challenge Shirin confronts is as monumental as the structures she envisions – to harmonize the diverse architectural scales that define Guatemala City. From towering skyscrapers to humble dwellings, the city’s juxtaposition demands a delicate balance. The project’s massing plan, meticulously crafted to establish a new neighborhood, reflects Shirin’s commitment to honoring existing morphology while embracing future prospects impacted by climate change. Two large-scale rectangular structures enclose residential units, harmoniously coexisting with public amenities such as commercial spaces, daycare facilities, and communal areas. The layout of residential units, influenced by corridor arrangements, not only enhances accessibility but also shapes the project’s façade composition, echoing the principles of Mayan architecture in a modern context. Drawing from Mayan cosmology, Shirin’s design symbolizes the interconnectedness of existence.

Winning and finalist projects were exhibited during the RAIC Conference in Vancouver in May 2024. All work submitted is featured on the Student Work Showcase page of the CASA-ACÉA website: https://www.casa-acea.org/2024-student-work-showcase

The CEC is a highly regarded annual competition that brings together the most innovative engineering students from across Canada. The competition serves as a platform for students to showcase their problem-solving skills, creativity and technical expertise in various engineering disciplines involving civil, mechanical, electrical, software, computer and other specialized areas within the field of engineering. 

Students must first compete locally in the University of Manitoba Engineering Competition which is held in early fall. The first-place teams compete at the Western Engineering Competition (spanning British Columbia to Manitoba) and then the top two teams qualify for CEC to compete nationally in their respective categories. Students may be in any year of their degree to compete.

Competitors can look forward to enhancing their critical thinking skills, their ability to analyze complex problems and devise innovative solutions on a clock. It may be initially stressful or overwhelming for some, but the experience gained far outweighs it. Not only do you develop valuable skills, but there are also ample opportunities to network with industry members and fellow competitors from across Canada, which is an incredible learning experience.

Design classes in the faculty are given credit by students as contributing to their high placements. Presentability, practical application and critical thinking from classes had bridged the gap between the theoretical classroom learning to real-world problem solving. Team members stated, “There’s a deep satisfaction in knowing our hard work, dedication and skills were recognized at the national level.”

“Set that step and compete. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. If competition is intimidating, you continue to step on through. Formulate a team that you will have fun with! This competition cycle is meant for students to learn and expand themselves into bigger and better problem solvers.” – Syed Abraham Ahmed

Congratulations to the competitors!

First place in Programming: Syed Abraham Ahmed (Computer Engineering), Daigh Burgess (Computer Engineering), Connor Pagtakhan (Computer Engineering), Garizaldy Gerra (Computer Engineering)

First place in Consulting: Mila Lobato de Faria (Biosystems Engineering), Siobhán Scott (Biosystems Engineering), Rosemary Wilson (Mechanical Engineering), Camryn McMillan (Biosystems Engineering)

Second place in Debate: Duncan Lamont (Electrical Engineering), Luke Qually (Civil Engineering)

Third place in Re-Engineering: Mustafa Khan (Mechanical Engineering), Shannon Campbell (Electrical Engineering)

Non-podium in Communications: Hassan Ashraf (Mechanical Engineering), Aayush Vij (Mechanical Engineering)

The 11th Annual Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition received over 1400 submissions, and challenged students to design a workplace model of approximately 11 000 square feet that prioritizes hybrid work, supporting diverse types of collaboration.

As a semi-finalist, Irena won a trip to the Steelcase headquarters where she, along with fellow semi-finalists from universities across North America, worked collaboratively with and presented to their peers and professional judges.

“During this experience, the Steelcase staff, including Jerry, Denise, and Mckalea, along with the judges, provided valuable guidance and insights that helped us grow both personally and professionally. They were not just observers in this process but were mentors who were genuinely invested in each participant’s journey.

One of the unique things about this experience was the collaborative environment created by the judges and staff. Everyone was rooting for us to succeed, and the portfolio reviews, presentations, and conversations that followed provided opportunities for us to connect with professionals from the industry. The camaraderie, mutual support, and the celebration of every participant’s efforts were some of the main highlights of this experience.”

– Irena Tonnu

“Irena’s entry, “Humanizing the Workplace,” for the 11th Annual Steelcase Next Student Design Competition, stands out for its embrace of a hybrid work model, recognizing the increasingly blurred boundaries between physical and digital spaces. Her project incorporates biophilic design principles by introducing an office garden, seamlessly integrating elements of nature into the workspace. With ample greenery, natural patterns, and organic textures, Irena’s design creates a calming and inspiring atmosphere – conducive to both individual wellness and the dynamics of the modern office.

Being selected as a semi-finalist and to present in Grand Rapids, Irena showcased not only her creativity and innovation but also her commitment to excellence, reflecting the values of our design community here at the University of Manitoba. We couldn’t be prouder of her achievements within our master’s program.”

– Kleighton Thomas Burns, Sessional Instructor – Master of Interior Design 3 Studio

To learn more about the Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competiton, and to check out Irena’s full submission, visit the Steelcase website.

We are looking for instructors who would be willing to explore embedding Map the System into a for-credit course.

• Do you teach topics such as qualitative research methods, social and environmental issues, systems thinking, social entrepreneurship, consulting, social change, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, UN Sustainable Development Goals, advocacy, etc?
• Are you interested in offering a new experiential learning opportunity to your students?

Map the System Information Session

In this one hour online Zoom meeting, Faculty Specialists Rebecca Brooks and Janine Carmichael will share: 

• More about Map the System, including key dates and deliverables
• Benefits to students of participating in Map the System in a for-credit course
• Available supports for instructors to make any necessary course adjustments

Date: Monday, June 19, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Delivery method: Remote – UM Zoom

Register now

Learn more

To learn more about Map the System, contact Janine Carmichael, Faculty Specialist in Entrepreneurship at janine.carmichael@umanitoba.ca.

To learn more about past Map the System competitions, visit the Map the System Canada website.

To learn more about the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, visit their website.

Register for the Map the System information session.

Congratulations to the winners:

1^st Place – BOLD Simplicity          
Danielle Dubois
Holly Friesen

2^nd place – The Onion          
Jia Garcia
Myles O’Toole
Victor Sarzynski

3^rd place – Influx              
Jen Bergen
Conrad Jabo
Brandon Nacionales

2nd place winner – The Onion

3rd place winner – Influx

The 1st place design utilizes the basic but bold shape of the triangle as a pattern to direct movement and create visual focus as a concrete paver, wall unit and planter. The triangle design is imagined to make simple shapes or complex patterns while being user-friendly, visually interesting and contemporary.

The paver design uses the triangle within a square, creating a versatile user-friendly pattern that is easily repositioned to interject energy, focus, and direction in a space. The wall unit design imagines a contemporary triangle accent to create visual interest and the illusion of depth as a garden wall, retaining wall or freestanding wall. The triangle planter design imagines a sleek and modern shape, and is designed with the intention to be used individually or combined to form other configurations.

A special thank you to Alan Barkman, Scott Barkman, Brian Pries, August Wiens, Garry Funk, Mark Hiebert, Wayne Patram and Wayne Wiebe from Barkman Concrete Ltd. for jurying the entries. 

• The submission deadline is February 28, 2022
• The online exhibit and voting for People’s Choice Award will be from March 7 to April 18, 2022
• Winners will be announced and notified on April 22, 2022

For submission rules and guidelines and to explore the exhibit and vote, please visit St. John’s College’s art competition website.

Connery’s project titled “In the Spirit of Shibui: Re-Animating the Ruins of Fukushima” is a concept for commemorating the site of the 2011 earthquake in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture.  “The A+ student award is a fantastic conclusion to a project that not only took me on the journey of a lifetime but carried me through these uncertain times. It is an honor for my work to be internationally recognized, and I am grateful for the individuals at the U of M that helped shape this thesis,” said Connery when asked about what this winning this award meant to him. 

For full project details please visit: https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/az-awards-2020-winner-in-the-spirit-of-shibui-re-animating-the-ruins-of-fukushima/

To read more about the AZ Awards visit: https://www.azuremagazine.com/article/announcing-the-2020-az-awards-winners/

Concrete is known as grey. But concrete has amazing properties! Every year Barkman Concrete Ltd. honours pre-cast design proposals of students that challenge and celebrate the material. The Barkman concrete design competition is unique among faculty-wide design competitions since it promotes communication between industry, educators and students.

Contest task
The task is to design, layout, and detail steps or stairs to the sunken patio on the northside of the Architecture 2 Building. Barkman Concrete Ltd. is expecting compelling ideas for an inviting spatial solution that includes areas to sit, learn, linger, relax etc. outside of room 121B. Room 121B is a studio space and has two doors that open to the rear patio which slopes upwards 2.50m, in between existing concrete walls. You are encouraged to experiment with features (wood, plants etc.) to compliment the stairs.

The unit(s):

• can be a dry-cast or wet-cast product(s)
• needs to be of a weight between 1300 to 1500 pounds so that it can be installed by the equipment of a contractor (1 cubic foot concrete weighs 145 pounds)
• needs to easily slide out of the formwork form
• needs to be functional and aesthetically pleasing
• needs to be assembled to overcome a difference in height of 2.50m
• needs to be applicable to other locations and their design

The winning design will be chosen based on the plausibility and creativity in how to create a space and shape steps in an intriguing, makeable and affordable way.

Eligibility

The Barkman Concrete design competition is open to any student enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba (in the 2020 -2021 academic year) and is a required assignment for students in EVLU 4002. Team entries are welcome. Only one design per team or person is allowed.

Schedule and adjudication

Explanation of project                           1:30pm-2:15pm, Wed. Sept 16, 2020
Barkman virtual plant tour                 12:45pm-2:15pm, Wed. Oct 7, 2020
Review of draft, via zoom                   11:30am-2:15pm, Wed. Nov 25, 2020
Submission, via upload (TBA)             11:30am – Wed. December 2, 2020
Adjudication                                          Friday December 4, 2020

A jury of Barkman Concrete representatives will undertake the adjudication and December 4, 2020. The call for entries aims at establishing prizes (total money of $3000) generously donated by Barkman Concrete Ltd. as part of their Scholarship Fund for students in the Faculty / Department of Landscape Architecture.

Submission instructions and further details can be found online at: http://umanitoba.ca/architecture/community-and-partners#barkman-concrete-design-competition

For further information please contact Professor Anna Thurmayr Anna.Thurmayr@umanitoba.ca

Zero Waste Canada, an advocacy group based in Vancouver, estimates that each Canadian will throw away around 50 kilograms of garbage over the holidays. This waste comes from the purchase of 3,000 tonnes of foil, 2.6 billion Christmas cards and six million rolls of tape. Additionally, 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags are thrown out each year. By being more eco-conscious, we can prevent garbage and promote sustainability. Not only is this the season of giving, but also the season of reducing and reusing!

Here are some tips to become more environmentally conscious and reduce your waste this holiday season:

• Gift a donation or experience instead of a material item.
• Buy secondhand decorations, or get creative with DIY crafts to make your own.
• Use LED holiday lights, which use 80 per cent less energy and last longer than incandescent lights. Make sure to look for the ENERGY STAR designation on the box.
• Cut down on waste by reusing gift bags, boxes, wrapping paper and decor.
• Or, opt for alternative gift wrapping, such as non-disposable materials like burlap, cloth or fabric. Traditional wrapping paper cannot be recycled in the City of Winnipeg due to the high amount of dye content.
• Prevent food waste. Make sure to carefully plan meals, take home tasty leftovers or compost the rest of your holiday feast!