On the evening of October 30, the OAA hosted the first of its two-part SHIFT2025 lecture series at its Toronto headquarters. The event brought together more than 80 attendees, including the architectural profession, design enthusiasts, and community members, for an engaging evening of thought-provoking presentations, networking, and inspiration.

All photos: Chantelle Ng


The SHIFT2025 Challenge, themed Reshaping Communities, invited OAA members to propose innovative ideas for strengthening the places where we live. The inaugural event spotlighted three of the six jury-selected concepts, with OAA Senior Vice President Lara McKendrick welcoming those in attendance and introducing the evening’s speakers.

OAA Senior Vice President & Treasurer Lara McKendrick addresses the audience at the SHIFT Lecture at the OAA Headquarters in Toronto on October 30.

 

The reception began with refreshments and lively conversations, as attendees explored the Queen’s Park Picks 2025  exhibit, which was also on display. This annual showcase celebrates outstanding architectural projects that contribute to Ontario’s built environment, as put forth by MPPs.

Attendees at the SHIFT Lecture mingle before the lectures begin.

Attendees at the SHIFT Lecture.

The lecture portion of the evening featured presentations from three Architects, each sharing their visionary ideas:

• Tim Scott shared The City Limits: Rethinking a 100-year-old Toronto Suburb, a proposal to increase residential density fourfold while preserving the physical character and charm of the original neighbourhood;
  
  
• David DiGiuseppe introduced The Living Core: Designing for Resiliency at Home, which explored how innovative building materials and thoughtful design strategies can enhance the durability of homes in extreme weather conditions, ensuring quicker recovery for residents; and
  
  
• Naama Blonder presented Subdivillage, a concept reimagining suburban street networks to revitalize Ontario subdivisions and create more vibrant, connected communities;
  
  The event concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees engaged with the speakers, delving deeper into the ideas and their potential impact on Ontario’s communities.
  
  

The three SHIFT speakers: Architects David DiGiuseppe, Naama Blonder, and Tim Smith before their talks.