1 The Condominiumization of Toronto: Design, Density & Livability
Alex Josephson, co-founder of Partisans, Toronto’s hottest young architecture firm, will lead this conversation focusing on the transformation of Toronto and its unprecedented condo boom. Drawing from his firm’s recent publication Rise and Sprawl: The Condominiumization of Toronto, Josephson will discuss density, livability and the the unremarkable architecture of the condo towers that are taking over the city. He speaks on Wednesday, November 30, at 11am.

 

2 The Danish Secret: Integrating Happiness into Workplace Design
Toronto-based Danish designer Mette Johansen offers a primer on designing happier workplaces and the Scandinavian concept arbejdsglæde (work joy). Her seminar will examine the elements that build healthy spaces that encourage physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. A collection of case studies will demonstrate how these elements can be integrated into a design project to support better work performance and job satisfaction. She speaks on Nov 30, at 1:30pm.

 

3 National Summit on Women in Design
The issues facing female practitioners will be examined by an impressive group of women, representing architecture, design, construction and even the finance side of the industry. An introduction by Susan Black, principal of Perkins Eastman Black, will be followed by conversations with such field leaders as Toronto architect Betsy Williamson, Dutch designer Petra Blaisse, Róisín Heneghan of Heneghan Peng Architects, and Chantal Frenette, principal at Kasian. They’ll cover topics ranging from equality in architecture to mentorship and other resources. The summit takes place on Nov 30 at 1:30pm.

 

4 National Summit on Passive House
The residential rating system established by Germany’s Passive House Institute is becoming of more and more interest to the Canadian industries. This high-performance building standard can decrease a home’s energy requirements for heating and cooling by up to 90 per cent, an appealing prospect in Northern climates.

Discussing the principles of the standard are a host of experts including Jonathan Kearns, principal at Kearns Mancini Architects, and Chris Phillips and Steven Gray, of retrofitting specialists Greening Homes. They’ll talk airtight building envelopes, ventilation, mechanical systems, certified products, and economics. For those new to the approach, catch up with the supplementary presentation Passive House Design: An Introduction. The summit takes place on Friday, December 1, at 9am.

IIDEXCanada 2016 takes place at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, November 30 and December 1. Registration for the show is free until November 17 and early bird rates are offered on seminars until the same date.