On February 26, 2016, the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design hosted Standard of Dwelling — a symposium about housing in Toronto.
Standard of Dwelling brought together three Toronto-based architects and the developers they work with to present on a recent innovative residential project. Each pair explored a different housing type, allowing the afternoon’s discussion to cover a variety of urban housing typologies — from the condo tower to the townhouse.
The symposium was moderated by Daniels Faculty lecturer and architectural historian and critic, Hans Ibelings.
The second pair to present was architect Meg Graham of superkül, and Julian Battiston, president and co-founder of Oben Flats.
Meg Graham is a Principal at design practice superkül along with Andre D’Elia. She is known by her clients and the studio for her critical insight and passion for design. Developed over many years of practice, her expertise is broad and varied; she has successfully led a number of the firm’s projects in residential, institutional and retail sectors, along with initiatives in master-planning and adaptive reuse.
Since 2001, Meg has taught design at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto, and has been a visiting lecturer/critic at several architecture schools in Canada and the US. An articulate communicator and advocate for design, Meg has contributed her expertise in volunteer and board positions that speak to her strong leadership role both in and beyond the design community. A past Chair of the Toronto Society of Architects, she is a member of the City of Toronto Design Review Panel, the Fort York Precinct Advisory Committee and the Harvard University GSD Alumni Council. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of the University of Toronto Schools.
Meg received her professional architecture degree from the University of Waterloo (B. Arch, 1997), winning the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in her thesis year. She also holds a postgraduate degree from Harvard University (MDesS, 2003). Meg is a registered architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC).
Julian Battiston is the president and co-founder of Oben Flats, a Toronto-based development firm pioneering the concept of design-driven rental buildings in the Canadian market. With four exclusive developments in its current pipeline, one of which is slated to launch this spring, Oben Flats is bringing its own series of boutique buildings to Toronto’s vibrant rental scene. Tapping into a growing “rent-instead-of-buy” mentality, Oben Flats’ focus is on contemporary, high-end units that appeal to aesthetically conscious urban residents, promising both worry and mortgage free living. As a quality measure to ensure the premium nature of these residences, Oben Flats started their own construction company – Oben Build. By doing so, both architecture and construction align in bringing innovative, modern designs to style-savvy Canadians through a new model of living.
For more information about the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, visit us at http://www.daniels.utoronto.ca
source
