Academic | Glen Park, Toronto, ON | Winter 2024 | ARC2014
Project Advisor: Christopher Cornecelli
Team Members: Negar Mashoof and Nezar Alkujok
The Yorkdale-Glen Park residential project in Toronto combines multicultural architectural heritage with environmental innovation. Inspired by Yazd’s ancient Badgirs (wind towers), the design utilizes natural ventilation and earth tubes to enhance local climate conditions, promoting energy-efficient airflow throughout the building. The Badgir Tower exemplifies a commitment to sustainable urban design, introducing new approaches to multi-unit housing and community spaces. The facade features a double-skin design: custom bricks with square punctures filter light and block heat, reducing cooling demands, while a curtain wall provides additional thermal insulation, improving energy efficiency. The tower’s curved forms are not only aesthetic but functional, designed for natural ventilation. Its rotation and southeastern orientation align with prevailing winds, optimizing air circulation.
A central commercial courtyard, inspired by traditional Persian bazaars, revitalizes the community by hosting markets, transforming Glen Park into a lively cultural hub. The Yorkdale-Glen Park project blends heritage with innovation, fostering community vitality and environmental stewardship in Toronto’s urban landscape.
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
1:50 SECTION MODEL
1:500 MODEL
Model made by Negar Mashoof
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Collage by Negar Mashoof
Diagram by Nezar Alkujok
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
CHANGE OF PLAN
Academic | Downsview Park, Toronto, ON | Fall 2023 | ARC2013
Project Advisor: Aziza Chaouni
Team Members: Negar Mashoor, Nezar Alkujok, and Yegor Konechnyy
This project explores the transformation of Downsview, a region in Northern Toronto, into a dynamic, multi-use space that merges history with innovation. Inspired by Unbuilt Toronto and the concept of unrealized architectural dreams, the proposal aims to repurpose Downsview into a global stage for events while addressing urban challenges. The design incorporates a network of adaptable stadia, habitable bridges, and residential complexes, emphasizing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and reduced car reliance. Key elements include converting Sobeys Stadium into a multifunctional hub, enhancing public transit, and creating a mixed-use community. Drawing from precedents like the Smithsons’ Hauptstadt plan, the vision promotes a seamless blend of residential, commercial, and public spaces, fostering economic growth and community connectivity. The project not only reimagines Downsview’s identity but also integrates environmental remediation and sustainable design principles, transforming it into a vibrant urban center with global outreach potential. It also emphasizes the importance of social housing, positioning it as a priority within the development framework to ensure inclusivity and accessibility. By leveraging existing spaces and infrastructure, the project envisions Downsview as a key hub within the Greater Toronto Area, driving long-term economic and social benefits.
changeofplan.cargo.site
BRIDGE SECTION
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
THE SUBTRACTION
Academic | Bloor St. West & Perth Avenue, Toronto, ON | Fall 2022 | ARC1011
Project Advisor: Christopher Cornecelli
Independent Project
The explores the evolving concept of puncturing and subtraction in architectural design. Initially focusing on creating voids within solid masses, the project shifted towards subtracting simple geometric shapes, specifically circles, from floor plates to generate unique forms. The design avoids traditional columns by employing pairs of floor plates that function as box trusses, supported by four exterior cores and a glass panel system. The composition follows a mirroringand-rotating logic, providing visual balance without complete symmetry. Each geometric subtraction serves dual purposes: as a shear wall on one level and balustrades on the next, creating alternating open and closed floor spaces. This approach also introduces vertical voids that can accommodate dynamic elements like vegetation, enhancing the building’s integration with nature. The monumental stairs, designed around circular outlines, enhance this unique aesthetic with ribbon-like balustrades, contributing to the overall fluidity of the design. Moving forward, the project aims to explore how these shapes can inform designated programming and adapt unconventional spaces for specific uses, ultimately enriching the spatial experience and pushing the boundaries of architectural innovation.
The project explores how architecture can intertwine with personal, historical, and sociocultural narratives, particularly when these cultures face threats of erasure. The concept of “Absence and Presence” serves as a guiding principle, symbolizing cultural integrity through circular voids that represent missing elements while also serving functional purposes like skylights and connections between built and natural spaces. These voids are always implied and present, reflecting Indigenous resilience and their enduring heritage. The design addresses decolonization by recognizing the impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous civilizations and their hidden histories. It emphasizes a harmonious integration between human-made structures and the natural environment, viewing the land as a living entity that connects all life. Inspired by the Lakota concept of “hocokah,” the design incorporates circular geometries representing unity and the cyclical nature of life. It uses these narratives to create spaces of reflection, aiming to honor Indigenous cultures and ensure their stories remain visible and respected in the built environment, symbolizing an enduring presence that overcomes past erasures. By integrating these cultural symbols into architectural forms, the project also seeks to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous worldviews and their connection to the land.
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
EAST ELEVATION
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
Drawing by Nezar Alkujok
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Red Oak Patterning Study
Natural textures of Red Oak tree bark inspired fragmented patterning for building exteriors and interiors, as garden walls, balustrades and bookshelves.
LONG SECTION
Drawing by Nezar Alkujok
Individual Model
Negar Mashoof
WALL PATTERN DIAGRAM
Drawing by Negar Mashoof
Model by Negar Mashoof
CONSTRUCTING HEALTH BOOK
Professional - Academic | Summer 2022 to Summer 2024 | ARC495
Project Advisor: Tye Farrow and Pina Petricone
Team Members: Negar Mashoof, Kiana Gemmell, Najwan Farag, and Tye Farrow
Constructing Health was designed with a comprehensive approach, covering all aspects from layout and diagrams to image editing and the overall design language. The book aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the therapeutic medical world and the design community, highlighting how intentional environmental design can enhance physical and neurological wellbeing. It incorporates recent findings from cognitive psychology and neuroscience to illustrate how health-promoting person-to-place relationships can be created, similar to meaningful person-to-person interactions. The book is richly illustrated and visually engaging, providing a detailed guide on designing environments that support daily life while promoting physical, societal, and mental health. Emphasizing conscious design practices, it offers strategies to reduce environmental impact and enhance human performance in cities, homes, and spaces dedicated to learning and healing. As the leading figure in the book’s design, I managed and executed the entire design process independently, from concept development to final production, ensuring the content was both accessible and compelling. The book was successfully published by the University of Toronto Press, underscoring the impact of thoughtful design in promoting wellbeing.
Academic | Morumbi, São Paulo | Fall 2020 | ARC361
Project Advisor: Anne-Marie Armstrong
Independent Project
The Glass House, designed by Lina Bo Bardi, is renowned for its ingenuity and modernism, often celebrated for its seamless integration with the natural landscape. While much attention is given to its innovative design and aesthetic qualities, the social characteristics embedded within the architecture are frequently overlooked. Although designed as a personal residence for Bo Bardi, the Glass House serves as a physical representation of social stratification, accommodating both the privileged homeowner and the working-class domestic staff. The drawings and analysis provide a deeper understanding of this dichotomy. On the owner’s side, the design emphasizes luxury and transparency, with expansive ceiling-to-floor windows that prioritize environmental experience and aesthetic appeal. In stark contrast, the servant’s quarters are compact, with limited natural light, reflecting a deliberate architectural choice to minimize their visibility and presence. This analysis reveals that the Glass House not only showcases modernist principles but also subtly enforces social hierarchies. The architectural choices underscore a dual narrative: one of elegance and openness for the privileged, and another of marginalization for the working class, ultimately underscoring the homeowner’s status and wealth while concealing the realities of Brazilian domestic labor.
SOUTH SECTION
FOREVER GARDEN
Academic | Macpherson & Rathnelly Avenue, Toronto, ON | Fall 2020 | ARC361
Project Advisor: Anne-Marie Armstrong
Independent Project
This domestic design focuses on achieving a harmonious balance between nature and the built environment. By establishing an equal hierarchy between the landscape and architecture and considering potential future changes, the house offers an ideal living environment for its two married inhabitants—a farmer entrepreneur and a chef. The design goes beyond their personal relationship to embody their professional collaboration, with spaces thoughtfully designed for shared use. The organic integration of agriculture and gardening within the open-concept house blurs the distinction between living and working areas, fostering a seamless connection between the natural and built elements. The house is conceived as a long-term residence that is both independent and self-sustaining, featuring key components: an edible landscape, solar panels, a hydroponic farm, cellars for storing non-perishable foods, a fermentation area, and a chicken coop. These features ensure that the residence is not only sustainable but also capable of supporting the occupants’ lifestyles and professions, offering a holistic approach to modern living. The design accommodates to the evolving needs of its residents while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability. By seamlessly integrating function, form, and environmental consciousness, it sets a new standard for sustainable domestic architecture.
