Collaborative Exercise 2025

The theme for the Winter 2025 Collaborative Exercise will be Waterfront Stories. CollabEx25 will involve a creative and interdisciplinary investigation to reimagine areas around and below the Gardiner Expressway near Toronto’s waterfront.  Collaborating with The Bentway Conservancy and taking inspiration from their future east-west expansion (external link) , students will examine found conditions and work together to develop creative proposals for social spaces of community engagement using physical model-making.

What is the Collaborative Exercise?

Unlike traditional design studio courses, Collaborative Exercise brings together students across all levels of the program in a Vertical Studio format. Teams of students, led by senior peers or faculty, tackle complex design challenges under tight deadlines. This year’s focus is on leveraging physical model-making to foster creativity and problem-solving. The initiative emphasizes collaboration, communication, and professional growth, culminating in a public exhibition showcasing the students’ work in the Paul H. Cocker Gallery.

The Theme: Waterfront Stories

CollabEx2025 centers on the Gardiner Expressway and its surrounding areas, reimagining them as vibrant social spaces that foster community engagement. Partnering with The Bentway Conservancy, the exercise draws inspiration from the organization’s east-west expansion plans. Students will examine the site’s existing conditions and propose designs that address themes such as biodiversity, accessibility, and urban play.

Team Assignments and Projects

The program divides participants into 10 teams, each tasked with a unique sub-theme:

• Teams 1 & 2: Rewilding urban spaces to create a “nature” learning center or performance space.
• Teams 3 & 4: Designing a convergence hub that promotes cultural exchange and intergenerational dialogue.
• Teams 5 & 6: Conceptualizing a winter refuge outdoor market adaptable to all seasons.
• Teams 7 & 8: Developing an animal life pet park with eco-friendly infrastructure.
• Teams 9 & 10: Exploring elevated observatories for rest and civic engagement.
• Teams 11 & 12: Creating spaces for low-energy community activities linked to the Toronto Public Library system.
• Teams 13 & 14: Highlighting Toronto’s culinary culture through food-focused social spaces.
• Teams 15 & 16: Designing immersive sensory experiences accessible to diverse audiences.
• Teams 17 & 18: Transforming underutilized spaces into active adventure parks.
• Teams 19 & 20: Building urban play spaces inspired by skateboarding and urban culture.

A Structured Schedule

The exercise begins with a site visit on Monday, January 6, where teams will document conditions, sketch ideas, and create a creative collage. Subsequent days are dedicated to concept development, model-making, and refining experiential ideas. The final day focuses on assembling and presenting 1:25 scale collaborative models in PHC Gallery. Each phase encourages students to integrate input from team members and visiting professionals.

Learning Objectives and Evaluation

By the end of the course, students will have honed their ability to:

• Work collaboratively to meet tight deadlines.
• Present and organize process work, including graphics and physical models.
• Explore abstract and conceptual issues through design.
• Articulate and defend their design rationale.

Public Exhibition

The outcomes of CollabEx2025 will be on display in a public exhibition at the Paul H. Cocker Gallery. This showcase will highlight the innovative ideas developed by students and their potential to transform Toronto’s waterfront into a more inclusive and dynamic urban space.