The Federation of Chinese CPEF Award in Architecture is an annual $1,500 award that goes to an outstanding student in the fourth year of the Bachelor of Architecture degree. Eligible students have completed the fall semester housing studio and demonstrated design excellence in their project, with particular attention to the social and cultural aspects of building.

The 2020 recipients are Arslan M. Abbas and Arielle Lavine for their project Village 2.0. It proposes a housing development for the site of the Canadian Tire store on Carling Avenue, that aims to tackle issues of loneliness and demand for affordable and sustainable housing.

“Village 2.0 reintroduces a style of community-oriented living in an urban setting,” write Abbas and Lavine. “Based on medieval village typologies, farming towns, and modern examples of co-living around the world, our development aims to provide housing for a person from any background, social circle, or financial bracket. Our village model works by organizing space into enclosed courtyards that support community programming, food and energy production, and water retention. Surrounding the courtyard is a housing super block offering a range of units.”

The five-member jury consisted of three partners of Hobin Architecture, Barry Hobin, Gordon Lorimer, and Marc Thivierge, as well as Azrieli School Assistant Professor Catherine Bonier, and Visiting Azrieli Critic Neil Spiller from London, U.K.

The focus of the fourth-year undergraduate studio is urban housing and community building. On January 31, the jury considered 17 projects nominated by the six faculty members who taught the studio in fall 2019: Ben Gianni, Roberto Campos, Honorata Pienkowska, Piper Bernbaum, John Cook, and Zachary Colbert. The jury also selected the recipients of the Hobin Prize in Architecture & City Building from among the 17 nominated projects.