Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, but there are some killer early Black Friday deals around already. For instance, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have dropped back down to $170. That's $80 or 32 percent off the list price. It's not quite a record low, as the AirPods Pro 2 have been on sale for $169 in the past, but it's not far off at all. The AirPods Pro 2 are our pick for the best wireless earbuds for iPhone. We also gave them a score of 88 in our review back in 2022. We feel that the transparency mode, which is powered by Apple's H2 chip, is excellent. It sounds far more natural here than on any other earphones we've tested. Apple has built on this by recently enabling hearing health features on the AirPods Pro 2. These include an FDA-approved hearing aid function and hearing test. The earphones may also be used to help protect your hearing in loud environments, such as concerts, without muffling the audio. Other useful features include fast pairing and ease of switching between Apple devices, spatial audio, hands-free Siri and solid active noise cancellation. The earphones are IPX4-rated for water resistance too. On the downside, the touch gestures take a little getting used to. The AirPods Pro 2 ran for about six hours and 15 minutes on a single charge during our testing. The charging case (the battery of which you can top up wirelessly or via USB-C) adds up to three extra charges. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-pro-2-are-back-on-sale-for-170-ahead-of-black-friday-150737558.html?src=rss

In Engadgets Slack rooms, our pets are high on the list of stuff we chat about just behind work-adjacent tech stuff, insane current events, video games and food. Weve bought plenty of high- and low-tech stuff to keep our furry friends fed, occupied, safe and happy and weve put together the best of what we tried here. Perhaps youre shopping for your own very good boy or girl, or maybe you have a dutiful pet parent on your list either way, the gadgets gathered here will make great gifts, according to the enthusiastic tail wags (or aloof meows) of our own fur babies. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-gadgets-for-pets-133024155.html?src=rss

Let's get this straight up front: The Vive Focus Vision isn't a competitor to the Meta Quest 3, or the recently released Quest 3S. At $999, how could it be? Instead, it's another stab at the high-end VR market for HTC Vive, an audience it's cultivated since the launch of the first Vive headset in 2016. While Meta has leaned more towards cheaper and more mainstream VR headsets over the last decade, HTC Vive has done practically the opposite, aiming for VR gearheads and enterprise customers with PC headsets like the Vive Pro 2 and feature-rich standalone models like the Focus 3. You can think of the Vive Focus Vision as a cross between the Focus 3 and last year's goggle-like XR Elite. It's a standalone headset with two 16MP color cameras for mixed reality, built-in eye tracking and automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment. It could also be appealing to PC gamers with its $149 DisplayPort wired streaming kit, which gives you an uncompressed view of high-end VR experiences like Half-Life: Alyx. Hardware: An aging CPU As intriguing as its new features are, though, the more I tested the Focus Vision, the more it felt like a missed opportunity for HTCs Vive VR platform. For one, it's running the same Snapdragon XR2 chip as the Focus 3 and Quest 2. That chip originally debuted in 2020, and it simply seems inexcusable in a high-end headset today. Both the $300 Quest 3S and $500 Quest 3 sport the XR2 Gen 2 processor, which is 2.5 times faster than the original chip and also has up to eight times faster AI processing. For a high-end headset at the tail-end of 2024, I would have expected HTC to at least match the power of far cheaper competitors, or even better to include Qualcomm's newer XR2+ Gen 2 chip. The Focus Vision is also still using older Fresnel lens optics, which are prone to artifacts and light bleeding, instead of the sharper pancake lenses in the Quest 3. At least HTC shoved in 12GB of RAM this time around, compared to the 8GB found on the Focus 3 and Quest 3. And the company still has a resolution advantage over the Quest 3: The Focus Vision delivers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, compared to Meta's 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. HTC Vive's 120-degree field of view also delivers a greater sense of immersion than the 110-degree FOV in the Quest 3. The Focus Vision shines best when it comes to overall build quality and comfort. Even though it's made of plastic like the Quest 3, it's a sturdy device that clearly looks more high-end than Meta's offerings. Ample cushioning helps the Focus Vision rest comfortably on your forehead and behind your noggin. And its halo-like head strap, together with the ability to flip up the visor, makes it easy to slip on over large glasses. Best of all, the Focus Vision features a removable battery at the back of its headstrap. That provides a helpful counterweight to the bulky front-end, and it could conceivably let you stay in wireless VR all day if you've got enough spare batteries. The headset also has a small built-in battery, which allows you to stay in your VR session even when you're swapping out the larger rear power cell. This is the sort of thing we'll probably never see in a consumer Quest headset, as it's simply too expensive to implement, and Meta isn't building for enterprise customers who demand continuous wireless. (And to be fair, it's also easy to just plug the Quest 3 into a USB battery pack.) Devindra Hardawar for Engadget In use Using the Focus Vision doesn't feel much different than the Focus a headset I liked when I reviewed in 2021, but as a business-focused device I warned that no consumer should actually buy it. That's not too surprising, I suppose, since both headsets share the same basic design, displays and CPU. In standalone VR mode, playing the Maestro demo genuinely made me feel like I was conducting an orchestra (an experience I also had on the Quest 3S), and I enjoyed hopping around a few virtual worlds in VR Chat. Other experiences, like the classic underwater VR short theBlu, felt just as immersive as they did on clunkier tethered headsets. While I could tell the Focus Vision didn't have the best lenses around, and I wished it had more graphical horsepower, it still delivered a thrill as I stood in the middle of a sunken shipwreck, waiting for an enormous blue whale to pass by. It was also nice to see the Vive app storefront a bit more populated than it was in 2021. Still, it pales in comparison to Meta's Quest library, which has far more titles and plenty of compelling exclusives (including Star Wars titles like the Vader Immortal series and Tales from the Galaxy's Edge). Devindra Hardawar for Engadget We already knew that HTC Vive could build a decent headset the Focus Visions controllers and speakers are just as capable as they were on the previous model but what about the Focus Vision's new features, like mixed reality and eye tracking? Unfortunately, there's not much to say just yet. There are a handful of mixed reality experiences available, like the creation app Figmin XR and the shooter Yuki, but they're not exactly mind blowing. The Focus Vision's 16MP mixed reality cameras deliver a fuzzy view of the real world (similar to the Quest 3 and 3S), so it's not nearly as immersive as something like the far pricier Apple Vision Pro. The Focus Vision's eye tracking feature also refused to work for me entirely, even after I tried to calibrate it without glasses multiple times. That didnt seem like a huge loss though, as there are only a handful of games in the Vive store that support it (like Capsule Critters and Mare). It's a feature that seems more useful for developers who want to build their own eye tracking experiences, than it is for people who just want to play games with eye tracking. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Solid stand-alone VR A better selling point for the Focus Vision is its ability to stream uncompressed desktop VR experiences but only when you invest in the $149 DisplayPort streaming kit. While Meta's Quest's headsets have been able to connect to PCs for years, first via USB-C cables then wirelessly, they also deliver a heavily compressed view of desktop VR. By going straight to the DisplayPort connection on your video card, HTC Vive aims to deliver something closer to what we saw with the Vive Pro 2 and other dedicated PC headsets. After playing half an hour of Half-Life: Alyx, I can confirm that the Focus Vision delivers a solid desktop VR experience, especially for a standalone headset. But given that it already costs $999 and requires an additional $149 accessory to get there, it's hard to tell who will find this compelling. True VR heads have likely already invested in serious desktop setups like the Valve Index, or the recent Bigscreen Beyond (which uses absurdly clear microLED screens like the Vision Pro). The beauty of connecting standalone headsets to PCs has always been about value. It was a huge bonus when the $300 Quest 2 could deliver adequate desktop VR. But that just isn't the case for the Focus Vision. I suppose if youre a developer who wants a single device for testing both standalone VR and complex desktop experiences, or working for a business that needs multi-use VR headsets, the Focus Vision could fill some sort of need. But either way, that seems like a fairly niche use case. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The Focus Visions auto-IPD adjustment, which scans your eyes and physically moves the lenses to be in the ideal position, was also hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes it worked just fine and landed near my prescribed IPD of 66. But sometimes the automatic process would land on an IPD of around 72, which made everything look a bit blurry. And occasionally the feature just wouldnt work at all. Auto adjustment is helpful if youre sharing a headset with other people, but otherwise manually choosing your preferred IPD is far more useful. During my typical standalone usage, the Focus Vision lasted for around one hour and 45 minutes, close to the two-hour estimate from HTC Vive. Thats less than what I typically see on the Quest 3 and 3S, but at least you can purchase additional batteries and easily swap them. The built-in battery, which enables hot swapping, lasts for about twenty minutes, but its also not something youll typically be stressing. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Should you buy the Vive Focus Vision? Despite my issues, the Focus Vision still sits in an interesting position in the world of VR especially since Meta gave up on the Quest Pro, which would have been a close competitor. It still delivers decent standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses. And if you dont want the clutter of SteamVR sensors in your office, its a smart way to tap into powerful PCs for more immersive VR experiences (so long as you buy the $149 DisplayPort kit). But for a $999 headset, its a shame HTC Vive didnt try harder to make the Focus Vision stand out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/htc-vive-focus-vision-review-a-premium-vr-headset-with-average-performance-150029763.html?src=rss

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The economy was one of their top issues as voters went to the polls this year. So what does Donald Trumps return to the White Houseas well as Republican gains in Congressmean for the U.S. economy?I followed the election closely, with a keen interest on each candidates economic plans. I believe there are two key areas in particular where Trumps victory could produce economic benefits over the next four years. But theres also a cost that will have to be paid.Extending Trumps 2017 tax lawLets start with taxes.Nearly all of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which Congress passed and Trump signed into law in his first year in office, expire at the end of 2025. If those parts of the law arent extended, it would result in a tax hike of about US$4 trillion through 2034. This would impose an additional burden on households coming out of a period of high inflation that resulted in significant hardship for many familiesand contributed to Trumps victory.Extending the individual income tax cuts would keep marginal tax rates from jumping and leadrelative to letting them expireto an increase in economic output in the long run. This occurs because lower taxes increase demand for goods and services in the short run. Lower tax rates increase the incentive to work, save and invest, which leads to more hours worked, more capital, increased labor productivity, and new business formations in the long run.The law also improved tax simplicity by doubling the standard deduction. And it promoted fairness by increasing the child tax credit, reducing how many taxpayers are subject to the alternative minimum tax and capping the deduction on state and local income taxes. The expiration of these provisions would result in a significant increase in the tax burden on many lower- and middle-income households.Given that Trump signed the act into law in 2017, I believe its a good bet that, at a minimum, hell extend the law, which will be much easier with a Republican Congress. And many economists would argue that will be good news for American households and the economy as a whole.Removing more red tapeMore importantly, in my view, are what I expect will be his more business-related policies that should promote innovation, investment and productivity, many of which also relate to the 2017 tax law.A few of these policies also relate to the same tax law, and so are very likely to be extended or reformed early in Trumps second term. Two provisions that are set to expire soon are the 20% small-business deduction and a measure that allows for the expensing of equipment such as computers and manufacturing machinery.The small-business deduction, which allows owners to deduct up to 20% of their share of the companys income from their individual tax bills, was found to increase employment by 1.2 million jobs a year. Its also important to ensure that small businesses remain competitive with larger rivals. Allowing businesses to fully expense the cost of equipment has been found to increase economic output by about 5% over the long term.Its important to extend these provisions to avoid a large tax increase on small businesses that would reduce job creation and innovation and lead to slower growth and lower living standards.A related issue is accounting for research and development expenditures. The 2017 tax law actually raised taxes for companies by requiring these expenses be spread over five years, which raises the cost of capital and disincentives investment. Trump has said he would change this so all expenses, including R&D, can be immediately expensed. This should promote economic growth.More broadly, Trumps first term in office was characterized by a reduction in red tape as regulatory reform was a major focus of his administration. Research on the economic cost of new regulations suggests the extra burden of regulations during the Trump administration was significantly lower than during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.Research suggests the U.S. economy remains stifled by heavy-handed and poorly targeted regulations that slow growth and innovation. Trump has promised to further reduce regulations during a second term, so it could lead to solid gains in economic output.Given the promise of artificial intelligence to increase productivity and growth in the near future, I believe it is more important than ever to ensure that government agencys set the rules of the game in a fair and efficient manner, without choking off the economic benefits of increased innovation.Offsetting the costsBut theres one big caveat to this. Extending those tax cuts will put serious strain on the national debt, which is currently at unsustainable levels.Since the turn of the century, U.S. debt has increased from $10 trillion to over $35 trillion, and the Congressional Budget Office projects that the debt will increase as a share of GDP from 99% in 2024 to 166% in 2054.Reforming the tax code to avoid a significant increase in taxes is important, but offsetting the revenue loss with spending cuts will be vital to avoid adding to the debt. Failing to do so would significantly increase the deficit and national debt, and put the nations finances on an even more precarious path.But Trump could go further than simply finding offsets. The start of the new administration is a perfect time, in my view, to create a new fiscal commission to jump-start a bipartisan conversation on sustainable fiscal policy solutions.John W. Diamond is a director of the Center for Public Finance at the Baker Institute at Rice University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Kamala Harris was a candidate of many firsts, including the first Black and South Asian woman to run for president as the Democratic nominee.Her resounding, swift loss in the presidential race to Republican Donald Trump on November 5 means many things to different people, including the fact that American voters are unable to break the glass ceiling and elect a woman president.Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Farida Jalalzai, a scholar of women political leaders and gender in politics, to better understand the significance of Harriss defeatand how the U.S. stands apart from other countries that have had female leaders.How important was Kamala Harriss gender in her loss?I cant say it was a main reason she lost. But what I can say is it was a factor that contributed to her lack of support, especially when you compare her performance with Joe Bidens in the same places and with almost all of the same voting groups he won in 2020. Gender was part of the campaign landscape in many different ways this election. Trump and his supporters used insulting tropes about what a woman leader would look like on the world stage. He used a lot of misogynistic and racist appeals in his campaign and tried to mobilize voters in ways that aimed to reinforce patriarchy.What does Harriss loss say about where gender equality stands in the country?I am not surprised that the glass ceiling for women in politics is still super durable in the U.S. This is an example of the countrys limits of making true progress on womens empowerment and equality. Of course, the fact that Harris was a woman of color vying to be the first woman president of the U.S. is pertinent.Trump asserted that the country needs a strong man to lead. He portrayed Harris as a liberal extremist and generally got the message through that a woman would not be up to the job of president.When Geraldine Ferraro ran as the first female vice presidential candidate nominated by a major party in 1984, there were a lot of questions about whether she would be tough enough on the world stage. Now, there are still questions about whether a woman would be tough enough to lead.How does this election compare with Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign against Trump?In 2016, Hillary Clinton highlighted the historic nature of a woman running for president of the U.S.and, of course, she received nearly 3 million votes more than he did, though she still lost the election. Harris was reluctant to mention the historic nature of her candidacy. She did not mention this when she gave her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August 2024. She recently explained this by saying, Well, Im clearly a woman. The point that most people really care about is can you do the job and do you have a plan to actually focus on them.Another important factor is Trumps political trajectory. In 2016, Trump was still seen as an outlier and an extremist. Many political scientistsincluding myselfdid not think he would receive the nomination, let alone win the general election that year. We see now that Trump is the new normal of the Republican Party. More moderate Republicans, such as Liz Cheney, are also not in power anymore. The party has become more extreme.Is the country moving backward on gender equality, or is it stuck in neutral?A few months ago, I would have said that the country is moving forward, but I feel like its moving backward now. That Trumps sexist and racist messages resonated with a substantial number of peopleor at least did not bother some enoughis a concern. Trump also said extreme things about women in 2016, including calling Hillary Clinton a nasty woman. This time around, these attacks seemed more normalized, saying that Harris was in a powerful political position only because she traded sexual favors, for example.Women have led other countries. What makes the U.S. different?The U.S. is a nuclear power and a major military and economic force. These realms are typically stereotyped by some as masculine. The president stands atop the U.S. political system and is directly elected. Women leaders often ascend through appointment as prime ministers in parliamentary systems. One of the vulnerabilities of prime ministers is that their terms in office are less secure. The traits deemed fitting for these rolesseeking compromise, for examplemay prove less of a challenge to women than they would if they were seeking to be president of a powerful country like the U.S. on the world stage.Currently, only two women presidents who govern in presidential systems were directly elected, and they are in Honduras and Mexico. The former is a former first lady, and the latter has strong ties to her predecessor. While women have been presidents of countries, several, such as the current presidents of Ethiopia, India and Greece, are essentially symbolic. Those positions are very different from the U.S. presidency, which has a more dominant role.It is also pretty uncommon for a woman to be elected president in a presidential system without being a member of a powerful political family or without being supported by a male predecessor. When you look at Laura Chinchilla, the former president of Costa Rica, or former president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, what connected a lot of these female politicians is that they were very much aided by male predecessors.Cristina Elisabet Fernndez de Kirchner, the former president of Argentina, had a wealth of political experience before she came to office in 2007, but she served immediately after her husband, Nstor Kirchner, was president.There is a complexity to these cases, and a lot of these women brought in their own political credentials and experience. But there is still a tendency to have the additional demand that women in politics have these connections.Farida Jalalzai is a professor of political science and an associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Mongolian designer Sarina has released a duo of stools clad in the pale bark of birch trees that celebrate the craftsmanship of the Oroqen people of Inner Mongolia.The Oroqen people are an ethnic group native to the Inner Mongolia region of northern China, who have been using birch tree bark in their handicrafts for thousands of years.The seats are clad in the bark of birch treesHowever, rather than the brown inner bark used by Oroqen craftspeople, Sarina decided to employ the birch tree's outer bark, which has a distinctive silvery surface pocked with grey knots and splits."I chose to preserve the white texture of the outer bark this texture not only showcases the unique natural beauty of each tree scar but also adds new visual layers to the pieces," Sarina told Dezeen.Wavy joins are the result of time-honoured craft techniquesShe treated the raw bark with traditional steaming methods to achieve a cardboard-like consistency that is malleable and pliable.The pieces were then hand-stitched together using traditional bark-splicing methods, which resulted in characterful scalloped, wavy detailing between joins apparent on both pieces.Read: EJM Studio's Pew stool reimagines traditional church pews with "tricky angles and curves"One seat is arch-shaped, while the other has an oval footprint with a chamfered solid wood top."The inspiration for the works comes from the inherent strength and weight of trees, while the simple curved design bestows an unexpected softness," Sarina said.Two different-shaped seats comprise the collectionThe designer envisages the seats to be used in residential spaces and imagines that they would suit interiors designed in Japanese, Scandi, minimalist and rustic styles.Both stools are available to purchase and customised pieces can be hand-made upon request. Sarina is currently working on other similar items to add to the collection.Sarina wanted to celebrate her Mongolian heritage through the pieces"Through the contrast of solidity and gentleness, viewers can experience a unique balance and harmony," she said."I envision these pieces being used in a variety of settings, possessing a strong sense of sculptural artistry while exuding a natural aura."The pieces would fit into a range of interior design schemesSarina was born in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, and produces work informed by her upbringing. She also teaches design at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, China.Other stools recently published on Dezeen include a series of playful stools made from dyed timber and a stool made from steel that has three separately adjustable legs.The post Sarina designs bark-clad Forestrest seats to reference traditional Mongolian crafts appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen School Shows: a proposal for micro housing which promotes sustainability is included in this latest school show by students at the University of Waterloo.Also included is a botanical garden which includes education initiatives and a proposal for a food security system through combining a greenhouse with a food bank.University of WaterlooInstitution:University of WaterlooSchool: School of ArchitectureCourse: Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) and Master of Achitecture (MArch)Tutors: David Fortin, Rick Haldenby, David Correa, Jaliya Fonseka, Terri Meyer Boake, Lola Sheppard, Scott Sorli and John McMinnSchool statement:"The University of Waterloo School of Architecture is an internationally respected architecture and design school dedicated to educating the best architects in the world."Set on the Grand River in historic downtown Cambridge, Ontario, in Canada, the School of Architecture is a source of design inspiration."Our campus, housed in a carefully restored 1920s silk mill, features an award-winning library, art gallery, cross-disciplinary maker spaces, fitness facilities, eateries and student services."During the fourth year, students spend a term abroad studying at our campus in Rome, Italy."Our pre-professional Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree immerses students in the culture and practice of design."Students develop an understanding of the workings of society and culture, the principles of physics, the materials and techniques of construction, human interaction with the natural and built environment, historical processes, critical thought and diverse forms of creative expression."The Master of Architecture (MArch) programme provides students with a unique opportunity to create an individual research and design thesis while completing the required coursework for professional accreditation."Under the guidance of faculty with internationally recognised expertise, students can explore diverse topics in architecture, landscape, urbanism, technology, sustainability and fabrication, among other topics."Crop Co-opbyRoksolana Ozerianska"Crop Co-op's sustainability philosophy integrates sustainability in human activity, human living and building construction."It balances affordability and quality of life by focusing on practical efficient solutions."Sustainability in human activity emphasises collective food growing and consumption, supported by a rich social program."In living, sustainability is achieved through a six-bay unit module that allows for unit mix flexibility."In construction, the modular building structure is designed for disassembly, enclosed in a repetitive 'perfect box' envelope and wrapped in a self-supported sunroom system to minimise thermal bridging and maximise simplicity.""Initial design completed by Roksolana Ozerianska, Kimia Safdarzadeh and Athena Walker."Student: Roksolana OzerianskaCourse: ARCH392 Design StudioTutor: David Fortin and Rick HaldenbyEmail: rozerianska[at]uwaterloo.caGrowbyMadeline Engen"Grow proposes a genuinely circular architecture addressing pressing social needs, joining a production greenhouse with the not-for-profit Cambridge Food Bank."Beyond their natural programmatic symbiosis, the programmes promote food security by engaging local communities in food production; additional education programmes and spaces leverage the greenhouse as a living classroom."Beyond programming, each of the building's components are conceived as integral parts of a circular process."Its hay-bale walls are sourced from agricultural waste; mechanical systems recirculate heat from the greenhouse; rainwater captured in a cistern becomes effective solar mass and food waste is composted on-site for the many productive gardens."Student: Madeline EngenCourse: ARCH 493 Comprehensive Building Design StudioTutor: Jaliya FonsekaEmail: mhengen[at]uwaterloo.caKnot-icalbySarah Abdulkarim, Michael Salib and Naya Sanchez"The Knot-ical Bridge connects Halifax's South End with Armdale, saving residents commute time, expanding the city's green network and reaffirming public waterfront access."The bridge draws inspiration from Halifax's sailing traditions, featuring a design reminiscent of billowing boat sails."Three strategically placed masts offer unique viewpoints and experiences along the pathway (ramp from the lower elevation of Sir Sandford Fleming Park, observatory deck and built-in seating areas)."This innovative structure not only serves as a necessary connection between points in Halifax but also enriches the public realm, inviting people to enjoy the city's scenery and heritage from a new perspective."Students: Sarah Abdulkarim, Michael Salib and Naya SanchezCourse: ARCH 570 Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel DesignTutor: Terri Meyer BoakeEmails: sabdulka[at]uwaterloo.ca, m7salib[at]uwaterloo.ca and nsanchez[at]uwaterloo.caParkdale People's Palace: Rethinking a Heritage Church as Revitalised Social InfrastructurebyMatthew Dlugosz"This thesis explores how a church building in disrepair can be transformed into a socially relevant space for its community through architectural adaptation."In the context of South Parkdale's gentrification and commitment to equity, the thesis proposes transforming Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church in Toronto into a community food hub."By integrating new spaces and programming, the church can become a social infrastructure asset, offering renewed relevance and connectivity."This thesis argues for the intersection of heritage and social infrastructure, empowered by community ideals, to create socially constructive futures for Toronto's declining church buildings."Student: Matthew DlugoszCourse: Master of Architecture (MArch)Tutor: Lola SheppardEmail: matthew.dlugosz[at]uwaterloo.caStep by StepbyPhillis Yang, Leanne Li and Matthew Baker"Step by Step weaves ceramic craft into an architectural element activated by the user through movement and touch as they ascend or descend."Our brick module is a double sided, universal experience that allows the inside face to cast sharp angular shadows within the negative space while the outside face are angled planes joined together with varying sizes of the centre aperture."When mortared and assembled similar to a conventional brick wall, the stair is presented with formal rhythm and an optical effect, creating a new poetic experience and appreciation for stairs and for its details and joinery."Students: Phillis Yang, Leanne Li and Matthew BakerCourse: ARCH 520 Material SyntaxTutor: David CorreaEmails: phillis.yang[at]uwaterloo.ca, l567li[at]uwaterloo.ca and m37baker[at]uwaterloo.caStonehouse: more than a foodbankbyYoon Hur"Stonehouse reimagines the Cambridge Food Bank as an architectural typology woven into the urban fabric as a communal hub, rather than being pushed to the margins."Cambridge Food Bank's motto, 'more than a food bank', is embodied in the proposal, fostering a space that provokes timeless sensorial curiosity."As one walks through the space enclosed by rhythmic timber frames and welcoming stonewalls, Stonehouse reveals the enduring symbiotic relationship between the locally sourced and reclaimed materials, paying homage to the city's architectural heritage and the former industrial site."Here, materiality transcends building science, becoming an agent of history, sustainability and belonging."Student: Yoon HurCourse: ARCH493 Design Studio/Comprehensive Building DesignTutor: Jaliya FonsekaEmail: yoonhurr[at]gmail.comCamp GlennbySophie (Jinhong) Rioux"Architecture for grief requires adaptability and variability; in a death-denying society, emotional landscapes rarely encounter public space."Camp Glenn is a lodge designed for bereaved children and teenagers, providing a therapeutic environment to learn essential coping skills, meet people with similar experiences and memorialise their loved ones."Flowing through the Canadian Shield, the riverside stratum is a passageway."Natural and constructed landscaping elements allow campers to retreat and rejoin the program without dictating the course of transitional grief phases."Camp Glenn provides agency and compassion, helping its visitors find community, support and solace after loss uncovering life after life."Student: Sophie (Jinhong) RiouxCourse: ARCH 293 Landscape Design StudioTutor: Scott Sorli and Lola SheppardEmail: j3rioux[at]uwaterloo.caMicro-housing for affordability, flexibility and sustainability by architecture students"This studio is focused on housing insecurity in the Waterloo Region and explores the potential of low-cost, small-scale building that could be widely deployed as a means of quickly created, much needed housing, for a growing segment of our communities."The studio explores the principles of design, technology and fabrication of small dwellings, whose modest size, mobility and economy can play a key role in addressing the acute housing crisis both regionally and nationally."The studio will design an approximately 190-square-foot tiny home in Ontario."This course runs as part of the Grand Studio Design Build program at the School of Architecture, which has dual focus of creating alternative housing in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region as well as cultural infrastructure projects in collaboration with local Indigenous communities."The program offers students the opportunity to carry through designs from preliminary research, to concept design, construction documents and the building of full-scale permanent structures, in collaboration with community groups, putting design education into practice, for architecture that can create tangible change for people in our surrounding local communities."Students: MultipleCourse: ARCH 393: Micro-housing for affordability, flexibility and sustainabilityTutor: John McMinnCambridge Food BankbyCian Hrabi"The Cambridge food bank project recognises its industrial surroundings as valuable contextual material to be referenced and physical material to be used in the new construction."The new building is a light steel frame single-story structure located at the front of the site, with one existing building retrofitted to become a conditioned community centre and farm storage space."From demolition, brick walls are re-used as floor finishes, concrete block used as interior partitions and steel recycled."A photovoltaic shading screen is erected on the south facade, creating a distinct building face and enabling a fully-glazed facade while maintaining an efficient thermal envelope."Student: Cian HrabiCourse: ARCH 493 Design Studio/Comprehensive Building DesignTutor: Jaliya FonsekaEmail: cian_m_h[at]mit.eduGill GardensbyAudrey Chen, Simone Darveau and Kailing Mai"Located on the UBC campus and adjacent to secondary and elementary schools, Gill Gardens aims to be a collaborative, hands-on botanical garden centred around learning and engaging with nature."This project explores an innovative architectural solution by upscaling adaptive wood bilayer systems, inspired by the hygroscopic actuation of the Button Mushroom."It intends to create a climate-responsive louvre system that leverages the inherent properties of American White Beech for controlled shape-changing transformations, based on fluctuations in relative humidity at a seasonal scale."This offers a biomimetic and material-centric alternative to conventional kinetic facades."Students: Audrey Chen, Simone Darveau and Kailing MaiCourse: ARCH393 Biomimetic Design LabTutor: David CorreaEmails: a277chen[at]uwaterloo.ca, klmai[at]uwaterloo.ca and sdarveau[at]uwaterloo.caPartnership contentThis school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Waterloo. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.The post Ten architecture projects by students at the University of Waterloo appeared first on Dezeen.