ASAU student’s team wins award at TimberFever competition
An undergraduate student at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism was part of a team that won recognition in the TimberFever 2024 Design-Build Competition, which addressed homelessness.
Mohammed Alam, a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program, and his six-member team won an Honourable Mention and the Public Choice Award for a project called Photosynthesis.
“It was a great opportunity to connect with industry professionals and, with their mentorship, I was able to learn how architecture works in the real world – all the way from planning charettes to execution,” he says.
The competition took place in Toronto from September 13 to 15. The brief called for the design of features to enhance Two Steps Home Cabin Communities, a project aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness in Toronto. The cabin communities are modular, transitional, low-capital, and high-speed housing solutions.
“We strive to create an inviting and accessible space for all, offering green views and seating that evokes the comfort of an urban parklet,” Alam’s team wrote of their porch design.
“The form, with its three key components, helps us realize this vision. The curve of the roof and armrest, mimicking a leaf in elevation; the integrated storage, extending table, and the skylight are a representation of photosynthesis in our porch design.”
TimberFever is an annual design competition for students in architecture and engineering programs across Canada. Students compete in teams, with the assistance of professional mentors. They gather to design and build their structures, which are then put on public display.
Alam was among 96 participants selected from universities across Canada.
He worked with the following students:
- Brandon Angumba, 5thyear engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Cali Cavarzan, 4th– year architecture, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Stacy Browne, 2nd-year architecture, University of Toronto
- Marina Ullah, 3rd-year engineering, McMaster University
- Farwa Shahzad, 3rd-year engineering, University of Toronto