In March, technologies were put through a live demonstration inside an abandoned mine, where the rover and its support equipment ran under field-like conditions.   Image: KIGAM Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. An abandoned mine has reopened its doors–not for miners, but for scientists. The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) is converting a former mine shaft in Taebaek City into a research facility to test and validate technologies for extracting lunar resources. The plan involves partnering with Taebaek City to transform the site into a large-scale demonstration complex for space technologies. Taebaek City was once renowned for its coal production. When coal dominated South Korea’s energy mix, the city supplied roughly 30 percent of the nation’s total output and earned the nickname “black-gold city.”  But as the energy landscape shifted, its mines shut down one by one. This closure led the city to look for new paths to revitalization. Scientists saw potential in these abandoned shafts, redefining them as experimental sites that can simulate lunar-like conditions.  Dr. Kim Kyeong-ja, director of KIGAM’s Space Resources Exploration and Utilization Center, explained why the team selected an abandoned mine for the new research and demonstration facility: “Subsurface regions and caves on the moon are relatively shielded from radiation and meteorite strikes, so they are leading candidates for future lunar bases. An abandoned mine on Earth can replicate those conditions and serve as an ideal proving ground for the technologies we need,” she said. “A coal mine’s perpetual darkness and stable temperature closely match the sunless environment beneath the lunar surface.” Dr. Kim also stressed the cost-effectiveness of reusing existing infrastructure. “If we didn’t have a site like this, we’d have to build a dedicated facility, and that would consume a great deal of energy and resources. Because the essential structures are already in place and can be adapted with minimal modification, we can conserve both funds and materials.” KIGAM’s rover, equipped with its own Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system, is purpose-built to survey and map resources on the Moon. Image: KIGAM Scientists Dream of Mining Lunar Resources Researchers working in the mine will focus on demonstrating a range of technologies for extracting and utilizing resources directly from the moon.  The moon is believed to hold sizable quantities of key resources that are scarce on Earth. A prime example is helium-3, often cited as a potential future clean energy source. Fusion reactions that use deuterium and helium-3 generate virtually no radioactive waste, making helium-3 a potential source of environmentally friendly power. While only trace amounts exist on Earth, the moon is estimated to contain more than a million tons.  A KIGAM official explained, “Helium-3 is lightweight and takes up little space, so a large quantity can be shipped from the moon in a relatively small volume compared with metallic ores, making it highly economical. It is the resource we should prioritize returning to Earth.” Rare-earth elements are another set of resources potentially available on the moon. They are vital to sectors such as semiconductors, displays, and batteries. These elements are unevenly distributed on Earth, yet they are thought to be relatively plentiful on the moon. KIGAM says it is working to develop technologies for locating and extracting rare-earth deposits. Before such minerals can be recovered on the moon, the underlying technologies must be proven in environments that mimic lunar conditions. KIGAM is partnering with multiple domestic institutes to design advanced equipment and methods for lunar exploration and extraction. Last March, the institute demonstrated several key in-situ resource-development devices inside the abandoned Hamtae mine shaft. The event was announced as the world’s first use of an abandoned mine as a testbed for rigorously assessing the feasibility and safety of lunar resource-extraction operations. One highlight was a lunar rover designed to traverse the lunar surface and analyze soil. The vehicle can scout the terrain while simultaneously drilling underground to collect samples. Another KIGAM prototype rover carries a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system. The institute has also engineered a device that heats regolith to extract and collect valuable elements. Image: KIGAM LIBS can identify the composition and concentration of more than 50 elements in real time. It does so by blasting the soil with a powerful laser and analyzing the resulting plasma light.  During a live demo, the rover drove over a mock lunar landscape, collected soil, and used LIBS to analyze its makeup. In the future, LIBS is expected to work alongside a Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (KGRS) to build comprehensive maps of lunar resources. KIGAM has already produced an elemental map of the lunar surface using the KGRS on Danuri, South Korea’s first lunar orbiter. Beyond mining, work is accelerating on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies that would enable astronauts to generate vital supplies on the moon. At the mine, KIGAM demonstrated a resource extractor built to remove essentials such as water or oxygen from lunar regolith. The device concentrates solar energy to heat the soil to extreme temperatures, breaking it down at the molecular level and releasing usable materials. During the test, it detected hydrogen, oxygen, and argon in real time. Dr. Kim noted, “With this technology, we can identify any substance with an atomic weight under 200.” Many other core technologies essential to space resource development will also be showcased at the site. They range from CubeSats that survey minerals and provide communications in low lunar orbit to heat-pipe reactors for continuous probe power and wireless power-transfer systems on the surface. Partners include the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), and Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). However, researchers caution that replicating the lunar environment inside the mine still requires considerable effort. A KIGAM official explained, “We are still on Earth, and the differences start with gravity.” They added, “Our aim is to make the environment even closer to real lunar conditions by installing zero-gravity chambers or vacuum pumps in the center.” KIGAM intends to finish developing roughly 10 major pieces of exploration equipment by 2029 in partnership with government-funded institutes and private firms. Dr. Lee Pyeong-koo, president of KIGAM, said: “I find it profoundly gratifying that at the very place where we once mined the coal that fueled our nation’s economic growth, we are now embarking on research to bring helium-3 from the moon to Earth, potentially as a fusion fuel by 2100.” The story was produced in partnership with our colleagues at Popular Science Korea.

The Canopy Pavilion by the Canal / AESEU Architectural Technology and Art studioSave this picture!© Timeraw StudioCommunity Center•Tai Xing Shi, China Architects: AESEU Architectural Technology and Art studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  2400 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Timeraw Studio More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Urban Regeneration by the Canal - Taixing, situated in the south-central region of Jiangsu Province, stands as the convergence of Huai and Wu cultures. Established in the first year of Shengyuan during the Southern Tang Dynasty, it is a millennium-old city with a rich history. Historically, Taixing County was characterized by an intricate network of waterways, thriving alongside and in harmony with the water, and its fortified walls were constructed in the shape of a turtle's shell. Encircling the city were two moats, both inside and outside the walls, with several winding watercourses resembling snakes in between, forming a pattern reminiscent of the Black Tortoise and White Snake, commonly known as the " City laid out in the shape of a turtle and snake." In recent times, with the city's growth, a new urban layout gradually emerged to the north and east of the old city, intersected by the Rutai Canal and Qiangxi River. Notably, the Rutai Canal, linking the Yangtze River in the west and the Yellow Sea in the east, has served as a pivotal regional waterway spanning Rugao and Taixing since ancient times.Save this picture!In 2023, Taixing City embarked on the "Double Water Nourishing City" supporting facilities project, utilizing the Rutai Canal and Qiangxi River as the foundation. The project involves renovating the disorganized factories, wharves, and shacks along the rivers to create a riverside scenic zone for leisure activities. This scenic zone encompasses numerous cultural squares, parks, and small ancillary garden buildings. The question arises: how can these unused buildings be put to good use? On the one hand, they can enhance services for citizens' riverside leisure activities; on the other hand, the operational revenue generated can alleviate the maintenance costs of public green spaces. This represents the trend towards operational management of urban assets against the backdrop of urban renewal. Consequently, Taixing City has decided to revamp and repurpose six idle ancillary buildings scattered along the parks by the two rivers, endowing them with commercial attributes to leverage their footfall-drawing potential and infuse more vitality into the riverside scenic zone.Save this picture!The value of architectural assets and waterside living - In the northwest direction of the north gate of the old county town, there lies a junction formed by the Rutai Canal and other waterways. Following partial rerouting of the canal in modern times, the construction of urban highway bridges in the vicinity and the development of high-rise residential areas have enclosed this area, transforming it into a relatively spacious waterfront spot within the community. The site features a children's playground beloved by residents, making it a must-visit destination for citizens taking strolls and engaging in fitness activities along the Rutai Canal.Save this picture!The site originally housed two independent two-story buildings with concrete frame structures. One building features a V-shaped floor plan, while the other boasts a zigzag floor plan. Together, these two buildings, along with the river channel, enclose an approximately triangular plot of land. To address the elevation differences within the site, stairs and flower beds have been incorporated into the current design.Save this picture!At the onset of designing this project, the owner's requirement was to impart operational capabilities to these idle urban assets. Often, this is mistakenly interpreted in isolation as necessitating a "tailor-made" design based solely on operational demands. The business needs appear to be prioritized in the design brief, with a tendency to conflate building renovation and interior refurbishment, which represents an all-too-common shortcut in urban renewal. Building renewal constitutes a vital component of urban revitalization: it aids in realigning the site's traffic and spatial connections with the city through renovation and reconstruction, and employs functional integration to reintegrate the building into the city's fabric. Additionally, renovation extends the lifecycle of buildings and enhances their adaptability to a broader range of business types. Furthermore, it delves deeper into the site's unique attributes and leverages them to boost the building's appeal.Save this picture!To capture the cultural and geographical essence of a site, one must revert to the perspective of the city. In this water-laden town, water serves not merely as a geographical feature but also as a cultural emblem deeply ingrained in the fabric of daily life. The teahouses lining the canal bustle with activity, offering a pot of tea, a plate of steamed silken tofu, a basket of steamed pork buns, and a bowl of fish noodle soup. Old tea enthusiasts wander over to the riverside teahouses with their enamel mugs, where the aroma of steaming Xuanbao small wontons blends with the sesame fragrance of Huangqiao sesame cakes, wafting towards the river's heart. They sip on "Langli tea" brewed with canal water while watching barges glide by, leaving ripples in their wake. These are taste memories nurtured by the canal.The clanging of washing sticks at the riverbank, the tapping of chess pieces under the eaves of riverside houses; children leaning over railings to count passing sandboats, morning joggers' silhouettes mirrored in the shimmering waves, elderly couples taking a stroll and pausing at the flood embankment, pointing to the newly erected buildings across the river and reminiscing about the ferry pier of yesteryears. These scenes and people collectively paint a unique and vibrant picture of life along the waterfront in Taixing.Hence, the primary objective of renovating this site is to honor and perpetuate this vibrant atmosphere, providing a comfortable and inviting environment for people to linger and gather. By fostering conditions conducive to meeting the diverse needs of citizens, the potential value of the architecture can be fully realized.Save this picture!Revitalization strategy - With these considerations in mind, let's revisit the original site and buildings. Serving as administrative offices, each building boasts a modest area and features just one staircase inside. The elaborate decoration of the building facades actually obstructs the indoor view of the canal. The outdoor area between the two buildings, segmented by varying heights, struggles to serve as an effective venue for events. These are the aspects of the buildings that necessitate renovation and upgrading.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!More crucially, the site requires a powerful spatial configuration to redefine and distinguish this area, establishing it as a significant destination along the riverside scenic corridor. We define this spatial configuration as a prominent, large-scale open area, aimed at strengthening the connectivity between the site and the public spaces of adjacent blocks. By analyzing the types of traditional public spaces along the canal, we discovered that the awning form exhibits strong applicability. Both the boat awning and the market awning on the shore exhibit a form that is both sheltered and open. This convenient and easily maintainable semi-outdoor public space can effectively adapt to the complex surrounding environment, while encouraging the emergence of temporary and diverse public activities. It is a common spatial outcome nurtured by canal culture. Furthermore, utilizing the roofs of existing buildings to create more platforms that offer both accessibility and river views is undoubtedly a morphological projection of the site's characteristics onto the architectural form, and also facilitates the creation of favorable conditions for shaping outdoor commercial spaces.Save this picture!The final design employs a large canopy to complement the originally fragmented site. This canopy extends over the triangular site and portions of the V-shaped building's rooftop, creating a flat and expansive area between the two structures, akin to a waterfront urban stage. The height difference of the site is seamlessly integrated into the surrounding stepped seating areas. The V-shaped building's rooftop achieves a more direct connection to the ground through the addition of stairs and setback terraces. Likewise, the newly added columnar staircase adjacent to the building on the northern side of the site becomes a dynamic element in the space, directing individuals to the rooftop platform of the L-shaped building. Besides providing a vast shaded area for activities, the canopy alleviates the oppressive feeling imparted by the surrounding dense high-rise residential buildings. As people move under the canopy, their gaze is directed towards the canal and the ships navigating through it, restoring the appropriate scale of waterside life. The concave shape in the middle of the canopy collects rainwater from the rooftop and directs it to a reserved oval drain below through a cantilevered stainless steel spout, creating a "dragon spitting water" landscape.Save this picture!Technical measures - After assessing the concrete frame structure of the existing building, structural reinforcement was carried out on the foundation, beams, slabs, and columns. Transparent peripheral protective structures, such as glass curtain walls, were reintroduced. The horizontally extended white aluminum panels suggest a layered, accessible roof that steps back progressively. For the large canopy spanning approximately 1,000 square meters, a combination of curved grid glued bamboo-steel structure and membrane structure was selected through technical comparison. The basic configuration of the roof consists of several full-length square steel beams and V-shaped columns. The grid units composed of engineered bamboo members facilitate the creation of a gradual curved surface.Save this picture!Save this picture!The curved mesh glued bamboo-steel structure imbues this enclosed space with structural expression and illumination, emphasizing the openness and airiness of the structure to foster a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. This stands in contrast to the confined interior of buildings, suggesting the equitable use of public spaces and leveraging technical expression to promote community interaction and sharing.Save this picture!Community space - Benefiting from the maturity of the commercial and residential districts surrounding the project, as well as its strategic location adjacent to water, we defined the building as Taixing Teahouse—a venue that embodies the local morning tea culture of Taixing during the initial project planning stage. This decision was made after a comprehensive assessment of various factors, including project scale, surrounding traffic conditions, and potential impacts on nearby residents. Leveraging the separation of two buildings, we designated separate areas for the morning tea hall and private dining rooms. In the morning tea area, the middle section of the V-shaped layout serves as an open kitchen, showcasing the production of morning tea as an intangible cultural heritage.Upon completion, this revitalized venue has garnered immense popularity among Taixing residents. The riverside morning tea hall is often fully booked, while private dining rooms offering a panoramic view of the canal have become a favorite gathering spot for families and friends. The small plaza underneath the canopy is utilized by residents at various times of the day and has also hosted numerous cultural events in Taixing. Additionally, the semi-outdoor terrace on the second floor and the rooftop terrace on the third floor under the canopy have transformed into outdoor spaces for leisure bars. Evidently, the transformed space has transcended its original singular function, and its aesthetic appeal has been acknowledged through daily use by residents. It has emerged as a neighborhood hub in the contemporary waterfront living environment, seamlessly integrating culture, nature, and even spiritual and emotional sustenance.Save this picture!Conclusion - In the process of renewing urban idle buildings and neglected spaces leftover from the incremental development era, the approach of merely pursuing commercial value by forcibly integrating untimely commercial format often proves unsustainable. The crucial solution lies in reverting to the essence of the site, by examining the relationship between the architecture and the urban fabric, deeply exploring the site's potential, and reestablishing its public character. Only when the space genuinely transforms into a delightful venue for public interaction and fosters an organic connection with the city can commercial vitality naturally emerge. This incremental renewal strategy, which prioritizes public use over commercial gain, not only respects the natural evolution of urban spaces but also achieves a harmonious coexistence between public and commercial values. It stands to become a pivotal approach in urban renewal.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Tai Xing Shi, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office MaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on May 16, 2025Cite: "The Canopy Pavilion by the Canal / AESEU Architectural Technology and Art studio" 16 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030080/the-canopy-pavilion-by-the-canal-aeseu-architectural-technology-and-art-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884

The dust has finally settled in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, following a whirlwind of controversy that arose amid efforts to preserve Frank Lloyd Wright’s only built skyscraper: Price Tower. The 1956 building was sold to McFarlin Building, a Tulsa-based company that says it plans to restore the copper and concrete beauty in the heart of the town.  Originally designed for Harold C. Price Sr., the mixed-use tower housed corporate headquarters for H.C. Price Pipeline Company, leasing space for smaller firms, and luxury apartments. After Price’s corporate headquarters relocated to Dallas, Phillips Petroleum took over from 1981 until 2001 when the Tower was donated to the Price Tower Arts Center (PTAC), a private nonprofit. After ensuing restorations, the Tower housed the Price Tower museum; The Price Tower Arts Center; and The Inn at Price Tower, a ritzy hotel.  In 2011, the PTAC board donated a preservation easement to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, four years after the Price Tower became a National Historic Landmark. The easement protects the tower itself along with artwork, furnishings, and other features within it specifically designed by Wright as part of the Tower. As the PTAC struggled to maintain the building’s expenses, the board decided to terminate the organization and sold the Tower to Green Copper Holdings in March 2023 for $10 and the assumption of the building’s $600,000 debt. All was well, until it wasn’t.   The 19-story building primarily features concrete and copper. (Leonid Furmansky) Going Once Financial hurdles persisted. In the spring of 2024, alerted the Conservancy that valued ephemera protected by the easement had been sold to a midcentury design collector in Dallas without the Conservancy’s knowledge or approval.  Cynthia Blanchard of Copper Tree contended that the sale was imperative due to a lack of funding. By that point, the Towers’ debt had allegedly accumulated to over $2 million. The Conservancy argued Blanchard had no right to make that decision independently, and that the sale of the protected items jeopardized the space’s historic value.  Legal communications were sent by the Conservancy to Blanchard, Green Copper Holdings, and others alerting them of the items’ protection with hopes to settle matters internally. However, Copper Tree later filed a lawsuit against the Conservancy claiming the preservation easement was null and void due to the transfer of ownership in 2023—despite the easement’s attachment to the property deed. As the Conservancy fought back, the future of Wright’s work still remained uncertain.  At the time of its construction, Price Tower was the tallest building in Bartlesville. (Leonid Furmansky) Going Twice McFarlin Building signed a contract in May 2024 to buy Price Tower for $1.4 million, however, Blanchard claimed this contract was canceled due to “extensive and unreasonable last-minute demands.” In October 2024, Copper Tree put the building up for auction, seeking a new buyer, and McFarlin stepped in again, filing a lawsuit that cited its previous sale. News of all this also came to light after the Blanchards had evicted all the tenants; laid off Tower staffers; and barred public access to the museum, inn, and arts center seemingly in preparation for auction. Amid the legal proceedings, Price Tower was pulled from the auction block. The lawsuit added a layer of urgency to the matter, citing the lack of insurance and current fire protections as putting the building at risk.   Sold! In January, a judge ruled to approve the sale to McFarlin, per the original contract, and required the utilities be immediately reinstated to protect the building against freezing temperatures. In one final twist, Copper Tree filed for bankruptcy, putting the building up for auction. When the resulting bankruptcy auction failed to pull other bidders, McFarlin ended up with the building. John Snyder, who manages McFarlin, has taken part in the revitalization of multiple properties in Tulsa, including the Mayo and Aloft Hotels. His daughter, Macy Snyder-Amatucci, is the president of Brickhugger, a restoration company that is the principal owner of McFarlin. Prior to the auction, the Conservancy and McFarlin signed a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure the easement would be protected should McFarlin win the bid. While the fate of the items sold off last spring remains in the wind, the new agreement secures the rightful place of  the rest of the collection.  During an easement visit this March, the Conservancy concluded that while the collections and key historic interiors at Price Tower were “overall in fair to good condition,” significant investments would need to be made to the building upon purchase, mainly due to water damage. At this time, it seems McFarlin is ready to take on the task.  “We look forward to this next chapter for the Price Tower, and to building a strong preservation partnership with its new owners,” the Conservancy shared in a recent statement. “There is significant work ahead, but the infusion of new financial resources, together with a sustainable business plan, gives us great optimism for the tower’s future.”

Both Canada and the United States have deep-seated affordability problems, but only the former is doing anything substantial about it. Forthcoming housing cooperatives at 2444 Eglinton Avenue in Toronto, and in Upper Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, are helping put a dent in Canada’s affordable housing shortage. Vancouver’s home prices today are close to $1 million, and rental prices in Toronto are equally astronomical. To buck this trend, Canada’s Co-operative Housing Development Program (CHDP) unlocked $1.5 billion in federal financing to support new cooperative housing. This is all happening as part of Canada’s National Housing Strategy, a $115 billion plan to boost affordability.  “In Toronto, the housing crisis is as severe as it’s ever been,” UT Daniels professor Keisha St. Louis-McBurnie, a Toronto-based urban planner at Monumental, told AN.  “We’ve seen real growth in housing encampments, especially during COVID-19,” St. Louis-McBurnie said. “There’s been very limited new transitional and supportive housing across [Toronto]. Households are getting priced out of the market, including professional middle-income ones. Folks who are low-income that require the most housing support are not able to access new affordable housing, especially in consideration to what’s getting built in Toronto.” A Brutalist housing co-op on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto (Ken Lund/Flickr/CC BY 2.0) Claire Weisz’s office, WXY, as of this year has locations in New York and Toronto. Weisz recently spoke at the Canadian Club Toronto, in a round table moderated by Alex Bozikovic, about urbanism. “Huge troves of affordable housing in New York has, in recent years, been taken from people who can’t afford down payments on co-ops,” Weisz told AN. “We’ve sacrificed so much. Some organizations have tried to stop this, but without policy support from the city, it’s really in vain.” “My big worry is that right now, like Toronto, New York is starting to be like the rest of the U.S. and rely on developer-led for-profits, versus not-for-profits,” Weisz added. “There needs to be a reawakening of not-for-profit development coalitions.” “The Co-operative Housing Sector is Booming” The Canadian National Housing Strategy’s longterm goal is to build 156,000 affordable units and repair over 298,000 existing ones. Housing cooperatives are getting built all over Canada as part of the program, from British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. Planning departments are prioritizing the needs of First Nations communities and Black Canadians to help rectify past injustices. This is happening as rent prices skyrocket, and Toronto’s skyline is populated with new landmarks by Frank Gehry, Studio Gang, BIG, and others. Cooperative housing was first built in Canada in the 1930s. Regent Park in Toronto was the country’s first public housing campus, finished in 1949. This legacy continued through the 1960s and ’70s, when radical co-ops like Rochdale College and Neill-Wycik were built for University of Toronto students. Willow Park Housing Co-op (1966) went up in Winnipeg thanks to CHF Canada, a joint initiative by the Canadian Labour Congress and the Co-operative Union of Canada. The New Democratic Party (NDP) constructed abundant cooperative housing in Vancouver. Milton Park got built in Montreal in the 1980s. Between 1973 and 1993, CHF Canada built a total 92,000 cooperatively-owned units. (This history was captured by Leslie Coles in Under Construction: A History of Co-operative Housing in Canada.) All this momentum was brought to a halt during successive Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien Premierships, however, when government support for supportive housing was cut, much like what was happening in the U.S. at that time under the Clinton administration with the Faircloth Amendment. Regent Park’s original architecture was demolished in 2005 as part of the Regent Park Revitalization Plan, and replaced with a private, mixed-income community. (Kevin Costain/Wikimedia Commons /CC BY 2.0) A regime of state-imposed austerity ensued, leading up to the affordability crisis both Canada and the U.S. have today. Unlike the United States, however, Canada seems to have learned from its past mistakes. Thanks to Canada’s Co-operative Housing Development Program, eight co-ops are getting built right now. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has prioritized new affordable housing construction and land trusts, and is doing much to fight gentrification. BC Builds is an initiative helping fast track cooperative housing in Vancouver City Council. “Since the 1990s there’s been a shift in liberal to conservative and neoliberal federal governments,” St. Louis-McBurnie said. “This resulted in reduced public investment in significant social programs, including public and not-for-profit housing. These successive governments devolved responsibility for funding affordable housing to provincial governments across the country, Ontario in particular. Places like Regent Park now have a public-private partnership model, meaning it’s now on the private market. Alexandra Park is going through a similar privatization process.” “But now, there’s interest in alternatives” to market rate development St. Louis-McBurnie affirmed, “and the co-operative housing sector is booming.” Provinces and cities are also implementing “communal land trust models to support the scaling and retaining of assets,” she said. “They’re trying to figure out ways for bringing independently-owned co-ops into the land trust model.” Housing as Human Right The largest co-op underway in Canada today is 2444 Eglinton Avenue by Henriquez Partners and Claude Cormier + Associés. The Toronto development will yield 918 homes, including 612 affordable, rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units. Retail offerings will be sited at the base level. From afar, 2444 Eglinton Avenue will stand out thanks to its polychromatic porthole windows. Further afield in Perth, Ontario, 38 new cooperative units will be built. Farther east in Upper Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, a co-operative housing development will yield 136 row house units primarily for Black Canadians. That project is happening through a partnership between the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust and the Upper Hammonds Plains Housing Co-operative. Curtis Whiley, a sixth-generation African Nova Scotian, is steering the housing cooperative project in Upper Hammonds. Meanwhile in New Minas, Nova Scotia, there will be 32 more cooperative homes. Rendering of 2444 Eglinton Avenue Co-ops (Courtesy Henriquez Partners) Africville was a close-knit Black community in Halifax located on Treat 1 territory destroyed by the City of Halifax in the 1960s. Today, land trusts like the one in Nova Scotia are effective means for establishing housing secure communities of color. The Toronto Chinatown Land Trust likewise empowers people to stay in place, an outfit helmed by Chiyi Tam who is a planner and UT Daniels faculty member. “We have not seen any investment like this, I would say, in terms of housing development almost exclusively for Black communities in Canada’s history,” St. Louis-McBurnie said. Hogan’s Alley’s Black community was displaced by the Vancouver government to make way for the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts in 1971. Now, members of the NDP and Hogan’s Alley Society—a Black-led, not-for-profit developer of Afrocentric affordable housing—are working together to shore up Black land stewardship in the old neighborhood and help rectify the past injustice. “Transferring land over to the Hogan Alley land trust will allow for the Black community to return and for greater autonomy in housing construction,” St. Louis-McBurnie added. “What If We Built a New Co-op City in Brooklyn?” Federal spending was allocated in the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to dismantle highways that ripped through inner cities and destroyed African American neighborhoods, like I-81 in Syracuse, New York. But this week, House GOP members moved to cancel the I-81 highway removal project. The Trump administration’s proposed 2026 national budget has slashed spending on projects that “fall outside [the President’s] new priorities” and “promote radical equity policies,” the White House said. Is it possible for architects, politicians, and planners in the U.S. to replicate Canada’s success given the current political climate?  It seems, for now, it would have to happen with aggressive leadership at the city and state levels—trade unions and nonprofits would also have to step up. This is already taking place, for instance, at Penn South, a sprawling Mitchell-Lama housing cooperative in Manhattan by the United Housing Foundation (UHF). Today, Bernheimer Architecture (BA) and the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust are helping upgrade the handsome midcentury campus. Penn South’s rehabilitation is in conjunction with BA, the AFL-CIO, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). “Penn South is a very unique campus, and its needs are different from most other campuses in New York City,” Andy Bernheimer told AN. “NYSERDA is helping us inform design and construction moving forward, which will entail reskinning the buildings and making them more energy efficient.” Co-op City is situated on a sprawling 320-acre site in the north Bronx. (Zara Pfeifer) Co-op City shopping plaza (Zara Pfeifer) In New York today, mayoral candidates are increasingly interested in revisiting the Mitchell-Lama Program’s success, a UHF campaign that built 135,000 cooperative housing units between 1955 and 1978, like Penn South and the Bronx’s Co-op City, another historic campus by Herman Jessor. In Albany, New York State elected officials have proposed a new Social Housing Development Authority, which would allocate government spending toward public housing, co-ops, and land trusts to battle gentrification. “I don’t think there’s enough money to simply restart a program like Mitchell-Lama, as far as I can tell,” Weisz told AN. “But if you look at all of the older Mitchell-Lamas flipping to the market, it’s clear we need to preserve the ones that are left, and there needs to be a new generation of co-ops. All over the city, when people have to pay market rates instead of mortgages, they’re rent burdened.” Homes for Living is a new book by Jonathan Tarleton that speaks to the tumultuous privatization of New York’s cooperative housing stock, a burgeoning problem. “Maybe there’s a way to build a funding and oversight mechanism for existing co-ops worried about going under water, and for households to sign up for a program that helps them to stay in [Mitchell-Lama],” Weisz elaborated. “Maybe there could even be a program for rental apartments to get into that program?” WXY is currently working on a Mitchell-Lama campus in the Bronx, Stevenson Commons, together with Habitat for Humanity. The goal is to maintain Stevenson Common’s affordability with rent-stabilized flats at very low rates. Parking lots at Stevenson Commons were rezoned to allow for new housing, which helps maintain affordability, while new public spaces and tennis clubs were added. There will be incentives to help seniors age in place, and for multigenerational households. Rochdale Village in Queens (Zara Pfeifer) Weisz sees opportunities to finance cooperative housing with ulterior means, like capital raised from Habitat for Humanity, but also congestion pricing. “We should be using new lines and TOD to actually support neighborhoods and co-ops, and people that are ultimately the ones who stay and support neighborhoods,” she said. “Why not subsidize co-op structures? The only way to do that is if there’s city-owned land, because, otherwise, the land cost is so expensive, you have to develop it at market rate.” “There’s a lot of city sites that have been identified for housing,” Weisz noted. “There’s all sorts of sites in the city’s hands right beside the Manhattan Bridge, for instance, or along the BQE. All of those sites could become new co-ops. What if we built a new Co-op City in Brooklyn?”

The Extended Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, February 21st. Get your brand in front of the AEC industry’s most renowned designers by submitting today. NYCxDESIGN returns this year, running from May 15 to 23. As ever, the schedule is broad and ambitious. More than 280 events, exhibitions, product launches, gallery shows, open studios, guided tours and more will unfold across the city over the course of the week. Usually, NYCxDESIGN is an event revered for spectacle and scale; however, this year, the exhibitors have taken a considered approach. Among the ambitious schedule, brands, designers, artists and studios are opening their spaces and sharing work in a way that is far less ostentatious display and more inhabitation of design. Some exhibits invite visitors into studios, kitchens, or furnished interiors. Others walk guests through the production and process of their pieces. In many cases, the materials and mechanisms are on show to be used and experienced. The idea has become not to simply view design, but to step inside it. Ilene Shaw, Executive Director of NYCxDESIGN said of the 2025 production, “This year’s NYCxDESIGN Festival feels especially energetic — full of new ways to connect, learn, and meet first-time participants. We’ll experience parks, revitalization and new infrastructure projects, and connect with the great minds that actually shaped them. You can walk through MADE’s Building A with nARCHITECTS and see adaptive reuse in action. Go behind the scenes at the transformed Davis Center at Harlem Meer in Central Park. Tour the stunning public art program at the new Grand Central Madison Terminal — 17 stories below ground. One of the most meaningful experiences we have organized is a high school student tour to the end-of-year design school exhibitions at a number of NYC design schools.  Throughout the city, the festival opens doors — quite literally— inviting you into studios, exhibitions, tours and installations that celebrate the full spectrum of New York’s creative energy. It’s design up close, in context, and in conversation.” The shift feels timely. While design culture and discourse are dominated by hyper-realistic rendered imagery and immaculately staged press photography, the type of intimate encounter offered at NYCxDESIGN is something tangible and explicitly needed. It prioritizes access over image and tactility over narrative. For architects and designers, it provides the chance to experience work as it is intended to be used, alongside the opportunity to speak directly with the minds behind the work. Architizer is proud to celebrate the creative forces shaping this year’s festival, and the following selection highlights just a few of the many events we think are worth taking the time to visit. Each invites a kind of closeness and intimacy, not as a concept, nor as a curated atmosphere, but as a way to showcase something real and meaningful. Tour of Building A at the MADE Bush Terminal Campus MADE Bush Terminal, 13 42nd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Free with registration via Eventbrite Hosted by nArchitects and the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), this exclusive tour explores the newly completed Building A and sections of the public campus at the adaptive-reuse MADE Bush Terminal waterfront site in Sunset Park. The tour highlights modern manufacturing, artisan workshops and entrepreneurial spaces within one of New York City’s most ambitious industrial transformations. Espasso presents: Take A Seat by Carlos Motta Espasso New York, 38 N Moore Street Opening: Thursday, May 15, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM (cocktail and book launch) Exhibition: May 15 – June 9, Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Espasso hosts a major retrospective on Brazilian designer and master woodworker Carlos Motta, tracing four decades of his work in furniture and architecture. The show centres on Motta’s celebrated seating designs — including the Rio Manso, CJ and Asturias collections — and launches a new edition of the Asturias chair, now with armrests. Grand Central Madison – A New Landmark and Cultural Corridor Grand Central Madison LIRR Terminal,Madison Avenue from 42nd to 48th Streets,New York, Tour date and time: May 18, 1:00 – 3:00 PM Spanning five city blocks beneath Midtown, Grand Central Madison is the largest transit terminal built in the U.S. in decades. Beyond its scale, it serves as a cultural corridor featuring permanent works by Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith, large-scale digital commissions, and public poetry displays. This guided tour with MTA Arts & Design offers insight into how art and architecture converge in one of the city’s most complex public spaces. Design Pavilion by Lexus at Hudson Yards Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens, 11th Avenue and Hudson Blvd East May 10–19, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily Returning to NYCxDesign for the first time in years, Design Pavilion presents “Lexus Ambiance,” an interactive installation by artist Nick Thomm. Set beside the Vessel, the piece invites visitors to shape a personalized light environment through movement and presence, offering a glimpse into future modes of responsive, experience-led design. Davis Center at the Harlem Meer Tour Central Park, enter at 110th Street and Lenox Avenue Tour date and time: May 16, 3:00 – 4:30 PM Designed by the Central Park Conservancy with Susan T. Rodriguez Architecture · Design and Mitchell Giurgola, the Davis Center redefines the northern edge of Central Park as both civic landmark and ecological restoration. This guided tour offers an early look at the new year-round facility, green roof, and reconnected watercourse, exploring how architecture and landscape come together to support access, biodiversity and public use. Design Legacy: The Poul Kjærholm Collection Fritz Hansen New York Showroom, 22 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013 May 15–21, 2025, Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Free, open to the public Fritz Hansen presents a focused survey of Poul Kjærholm’s work, marking the first exhibition in the Americas dedicated to the Danish modernist’s legacy. Known for refining cabinetmaking traditions through steel and precision joinery, Kjærholm’s designs are positioned here not just as furniture, but as studies in proportion, restraint, and material structure. HUNDŌ by Emily Thurman Studio 86 Walker Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013 Opening Reception: May 14, 2025, 7:00 – 10:00 PM On view May 15–21, by appointment, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Salt Lake City–based Emily Thurman presents HUNDŌ, her debut furniture and lighting collection, in a multi-sensory installation at 86 Walker Street. The show features works made in collaboration with StudioDanielK, Alexis Mazin, and Camille Tan, using cast bronze, glass, stone, and salvaged wood, all framed within an environment of scenography and sound. TM Italia NYC Showroom First Look 20 West 20th Street, Floor 5, Suite 502, New York, NY 10011 Opening: Friday, May 16, 2025, 5:30 – 8:30 PM (by invitation only) Open Hours: May 17–18, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM TM Italia’s first New York showroom invites guests into a fully realized domestic interior, where each zone is designed around a different style of kitchen use. From a compact working setup to a larger family configuration, the layout reflects the brand’s approach to bespoke cabinetry as both spatial system and crafted object. Materials, finishes and functional elements are on full display, offering an unusually tactile insight into how the Italian atelier works at 1:1 scale. Known Work Multiple locations including Love House, ZAROLAT, Host on Howard, Luisaviaroma, and Simple Flair Apartment May 9–30, 2025 (dates vary by venue) Design studio Known Work presents new and site-specific pieces across five exhibitions citywide, from Dimes Square to Dumbo. With new editions from its Perceptions Collection, designed by Parts and Labour founders Danu Kennedy and Jeremy Levitt. At Love House, the studio debuts The Mother, a dramatic metal mesh pendant that reframes the domestic light fixture as an heirloom. Other showings include sculptural seating at Host on Howard, a capsule at Luisaviaroma, and immersive staging at Simple Flair Apartment. Each show places collectable furniture and lighting in context-rich, spatially intimate settings. Oui Design! Festival 2025 Various locations across New York City Pop-up at Payne Whitney Mansion May 15, 11 AM – 5 PM  (Registration via villa-albertine.org) Similarly, Villa Albertine’s annual festival of French craftsmanship returns with open studios, exhibitions, and talks across the city. The programme begins with a daylong pop-up at the Payne Whitney Mansion, featuring live craft demonstrations and immersive scenography by Aurore Vullierme. Visitors can engage directly with master artisans working in ceramics, featherwork, jewellery and painted marble. This year’s edition expands spatial access across dozens of venues, from heritage galleries to contemporary showrooms. Birth of the Polar at Royère Gallery 315 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013 On view: May 7–30, 2025 Open House: Friday, May 16, 2:00 – 5:00 PM (as part of Oui Design!) Jean Royère’s Ours Polaire sofa is so familiar that it’s easy to forget how strange it once must have been when it first launched— all curves and no corners. This exhibition puts the piece back in context, not as an icon but as an object. The original frame, shaped like a boat hull and built in solid beech, is still assembled by hand in Lyon using the same layered construction Royère specified in the 1940s. Visitors are invited into the process to witness the immense craftsmanship of the famous piece. Cornell Tech and FDR Four Freedoms State Park Bloomberg Center Lobby, Cornell Tech, 2 West Loop Road, Roosevelt Island Tour date and time: May 20, 4:00 – 6:00 PM Cornell Tech, photograph by Max Touhey. This two-part walking tour explores the architectural and civic ambitions of Roosevelt Island, beginning with Cornell Tech’s high-performance campus and concluding at Louis Kahn’s Four Freedoms Park. Highlights include the Bloomberg Center, the Tata Innovation Hub and The House — one of the world’s largest Passive House residential buildings — followed by a guided discussion of Kahn’s axial granite memorial and its role as a site of political reflection and urban poise. School of Constructed Environments: End of Year Exhibition 2025 Parsons, The New School, Starr Foundation Hall, 63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Opening: Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 6:00 – 9:00 PM On view through May 19, 2025 Parsons’ School of Constructed Environments presents its annual graduate showcase across architecture, interior, lighting and product design. The exhibition offers a direct look at how the next generation is responding to contemporary spatial challenges through new formats, tools and ways of thinking — all displayed in one collective environment. The Extended Entry Deadline for Architizer's 2025 A+Product Awards is Friday, February 21st. Get your brand in front of the AEC industry’s most renowned designers by submitting today. The post NYCxDESIGN 2025: A Curated Schedule of What To See and When To Go appeared first on Journal.

The International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia,  has returned, with its grand opening held in early May. The exhibition runs until November 23, 2025 The Canada Council for the Arts, Commissioner of Canada’s official participation in the International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, administers the selection process and oversees the exhibition at the Canada Pavilion. But in addition to the Canada Pavilion, Canadian architects and designers have a presence in several other exhibitions that are part of this year’s festival. Here’s a round-up of the Canadian work in Venice. Picoplanktonics. Photo credit: Valentina Mori Picoplanktonics led by Living Room Collective Canada’s official entry to the Biennale is Picoplanktonics, a 3D-printed living artwork incorporating cyanobacteria—a global first at the intersection of architecture, biotechnology, and art. The exhibition, developed by the Living Room Collective, showcases the potential for collaboration between humans and nature. Picoplanktonics is an exploration of the potential to co-operate with living systems by co-constructing spaces that “remediate the planet rather than exploit it.” The installation transforms the Canada Pavilion into an aquatic micro-ecosystem, where architectural structures grow, evolve, and naturally degrade alongside their living components. It was designed according to regenerative architecture principles, and is not only a built object, but also a breathing organism interacting with its environment, which prompts reflection on potential futures of the built environment. The creative team is led by bio-designer Andrea Shin Ling, alongside core team members Nicholas Hoban, Vincent Hui and Clayton Lee. Etude Ile Verte by Atelier Pierre Thibault. Photo credit Alex Lesage Les boucaneries de l’île Verte by Atelier Pierre Thibault Atelier Pierre Thibault has been invited to participate in this year’s Venice Biennale as the only team from Québec. His project is inspired by the old fish smokehouses, or boucaneries, of Île Verte. With the support of the fifty permanent residents of Île Verte, Atelier Pierre Thibault has designed a participatory architectural project that aims to reinterpret the boucaneries as creative canvases to imagine new uses to strengthen Île Verte’s autonomy. This includes community greenhouses, artist studios, and gathering places. The exhibition aims to highlight, as Thibault puts it, “the strength of a sensitive and collective gesture in response to the erosion of traditional buildings and the major climate challenges faced by inhabitants living year-round in an isolated island environment.” The construction of the installations, along with the exchanges sparked with the community, was documented through photography and video, and captures both the process and the spirit of collaboration that defined the project. Celebrating the Verdoyants’ collective intelligence and inviting reflection on the future of the boucaneries, this participatory project highlights the exemplary and internationally resonant nature of this approach. The Atelier Pierre Thibault project will be on view at the Corderie dell’Arsenale. The pavilion itself will take the form of a temporary, lightweight structure constructed from reused materials, situated on the grounds of the French Pavilion, which is currently undergoing renovation. The curators have selected 50 projects to be featured across six thematic sections: Living With the Existing, the Immediate, the Broken, Vulnerabilities, Nature, and Combined Intelligences. Image courtesy of WZMH Architects Speedstac by WZMH Architects as part of Living With…Combined Intelligences  As part of the exhibition “Living With… Combined Intelligences,” WZMH Architects presents Speedstac, a prefabricated modular precast solution that aims to reimagine how urban areas devastated by war can be rebuilt. Originally designed to accelerate housing construction in Canada, Speedstac took on urgent new relevance following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With more than 170,000 buildings damaged or destroyed and millions displaced, WZMH’s innovation, developed through its R&D lab, sparkbird, aims to offer a scalable solution: self-contained, plug-and-play building modules with integrated electrical and plumbing systems that can be seamlessly inserted into existing structures. The use of modern materials such as high-performance concrete can reduce the weight of the modules, making them easier to lift and move using conventional crane equipment. Using a robust locking mechanism, several modules can be securely fastened and unfastened as needed, to produce an adaptive modular housing solution. The Speedstac system aims to offer a solution to the challenges of traditional construction methods, enabling faster, more flexible, and more sustainable building projects. The Vivre Avec / Living With exhibition is hosted in the French Pavilion. Presentation, Northern Horizons. Photo credit: Blouin Orzes architectes Northern Horizons by Blouin Orzes architectes as part of Time Space Existence  Through a wide selection of projects—ranging from conceptual works, models and photographs to videos, sculptures and site-specific installations—the exhibition Time Space Existence, hosted by the European Cultural Centre, aims to provoke participants to question their relationship with space and time, re-envisioning new ways of living and rethinking architecture through a larger lens. Quebec firm Blouin Orzes’ participation revolves around their first-hand understanding of Inuit territories, where they have been working since 2000. Their contribution is based on their  recent publication, Northern Journeys. Blouin Orzes’ contribution in on display at the Palazzo Mora, and additional contributions to Time Space Existence are on view at the Palazzo Bembo and Marinaressa Gardens. View of Commercial and Residential Towers from Seymour and West Georgia Streets. Image credit: Henriquez Partners Studio BC Glass Sea Sponge Another contribution to Time Space Existence is the work of Henriquez Partners Studio. The transformative mixed-use development which they are presenting merges architectural innovation, social responsibility and urban revitalization, and has recently been submitted to the City of Vancouver. The project is about ambitious city-building, and aims to unlock public benefits on currently underutilized land in a way that supports some of the city’s most urgent needs, while contributing bold architecture to the city skyline. Four towers, designed by Henriquez, draw inspiration from rare and ancient glass sea sponge reefs, whose ecological strength and resilience have shaped both form and structure. These living marine organisms, which are unique to the Pacific Northwest, aim to serve as a metaphor for regeneration and adaptation. This concept is translated through the architectural language of the towers: silhouettes, sculptural forms, and sustainable performance. The tallest tower, a stand-alone hotel, proposed at 1,033 feet, is shaped by a structural diagrid exoskeleton that allows for column-free interiors while maximizing strength and minimizing material use. Developed in collaboration with Arup, the structural system references the skeletal lattice of sea sponges; a concept researched at Harvard for its groundbreaking structural efficiency. Henriquez Partners’  contribution is on display at Palazzo Bembo. Renewal Development Shishalh Project Duplex Renderings – Image credit: Renewal Development Shíshálh Nation: Ten Home Rescue Project as part of theLiving With / Vivre avec exhibition Vancouver-based company Renewal Development has been selected to appear as part of the French Pavilion’s exhibition on housing innovation. In 2024, Renewal Development partnered with developer Wesgroup and the shíshálh Nation to relocate ten high value Port Moody homes set for demolition to the shíshálh Nation on the Sunshine Coast. The Nation has been experiencing an acute housing shortage with 900 Nation members currently on a waitlist for housing. Renewal Development says that this initiative reflects its “deeply held values of sustainability, and reconciliation” and its “work to offer real-world solutions to waste and housing shortages by reimagining what already exists.” The project will be on display in the French Pavilion. The following is a list of other Canadian groups and individuals contributing to this year’s Venice Biennale: On Storage Brendan Cormier is a Canadian writer, curator, and urban designer based in London. He is currently the lead curator of 20th and 21st Century Design for the Shekou Partnership at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Prior to this he served as the managing editor of Volume Magazine. La Biennale di Venezia and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London present for the ninth consecutive year the Applied Arts Pavilion Special Project titled On Storage, curated by Brendan Cormier, in collaboration with Diller, Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R). It explores the global architecture of storage in service of the circulation of things, and features a newly commissioned six-channel film directed by DS+R. From Liquid to Stone: A Reconfigurable Concrete Tectonic Against Obsolescence Inge Donovan, based in Boston, achieved her Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Design and Architectural History, Theory and Criticism from the Daniels Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto in 2019 after growing up in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Curse of Dimensionality Adeline Chum is currently a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Spatial Research and third-year student in the MArch Program at GSAPP. She has received her Bachelor of Architectural Studies from the University of Waterloo, Canada and has worked in small and medium-sized architecture firms in Toronto, New York, and London. Oceanic Refractions Elise Misao Hunchuck, born in Toronto and currently based Berlin and Milan, is a transdisciplinary researcher, editor, writer, and educator. Her practice brings together architecture, landscape architecture, and media studies to research sites in Canada, Japan, China, and Ukraine, employing text, images, and cartographies to document, explore, and archive the co-constitutive relationships between plants, animals, and minerals—in all of their forms. SpaceSuits.Us: A Case for Ultra Thin Adjustments Charles Kim is a designer currently based in Boston. Stemming from his background in architecture, he is interested in materials, DIY, and the aesthetics of affordability. Since graduating from Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2022, he has been working as an architectural designer at Utile. Uncommon Knowledge: Plants as Sensors Sonia Sobrino Ralston is a designer, researcher, and educator, and is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor in Landscape Architecture and Art + Design at Northeastern University in the College of Arts, Media, and Design. She is interested in the intersections between landscape, architecture, and the history of technology. Doxiadis’ Informational Modernism Mark Wasiuta is Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Columbia GSAPP and Co-Director of the Critical, Curatorial and Conceptual Practices in Architecture program. Wasiuta is recipient of recent grants from the Onassis Foundation, the Asian Cultural Council, NYSCA, and the Graham Foundation, where he was an inaugural Graham Foundation Fellow. Blue Garden: The Architecture of Emergence Tanvi Khurmi, based in London, UK, is a multidisciplinary designer and artist. Her practice is focused on addressing and combatting issues surrounding the climate crisis. After receiving a Bachelor’s in Architecture with a minor in Environmental Studies from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto, she earned a Masters of Architecture in Bio-Integrated Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. Design as an Astronaut Dr. Cody Paige is the Director of the Space Exploration Initiative at the MIT Media Lab, a team of 50+ students, faculty, and staff building and flying advanced technology for space exploration. The Initiative focuses on helping students take their research into space. The pipeline developed to achieve this works with students from across the Media Lab and the MIT community to prototype space-related research in the lab, fly and test them in microgravity on parabolic and suborbital flights, and finally to take them to the International Space Station or on to the Moon. Cody also has a background in geology, specifically quaternary geochronology, and completed her Master of Applied Science at the University of Toronto in Aerospace Engineering and her Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen’s University in Engineering Physics.   The post Round-up: Canadian-led exhibitions at the 2025 Venice Biennale appeared first on Canadian Architect.