Join us in Toronto on 30 April for a screening of To Build Law, followed by a panel discussion. The documentary film follows the work of bplus through the making of their latest project HouseEurope!, a European initiative focused on promoting renovation over demolition and new construction through a European Citizen’s Initiative.

After the screening, Stefan Novakovic (Azure Magazine) will moderate a conversation to reflect on the documentary and explore its implications in the context of Toronto with Janna Levitt (LGA Architectural Partners), Stephanie Mah (Gaiamo), Monica Hutton, and Ya’el Santopinto (ERA Architects).

The discussion will focus on the role of legislation and legal frameworks in shaping the built environment and how architects can help drive meaningful change in Toronto.

This event is free and open to all upon registration. Register here.

This event is organized in partnership with Azure Magazine and the Toronto Society of Architects. It is part of a series of public events related to our Groundwork project, exploring the evolving role of architects today.

Address: Innis College Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5

Janna Levitt co-founded LGA Architectural Partners with Dean Goodman in 1993 with a vision to help diverse and often under-resourced clients to realize places that spark positive cultural and environmental change. Through research, public consultation, and design Janna aims to improve lives: creating places that advance equity, wellness and community, educating and mentoring the next generation of designers, and collaborating with artists, scientists and others to draw attention to pressing issues impacting our world. Her noteworthy recent projects include the MABELLEarts Pavilion and Park that uplifts a historically underserved, high density neighborhood populated by newcomers to Canada with a dynamic hub for creativity and community; Evergreen Brickworks’ Kiln Building 16, that sensitively arrested the deterioration of a historic Toronto landmark and expanded its purpose from artifact to a carbon-neutral event and education centre; Stackt, that transformed a pending development site into an ever-evolving shipping-container retail market and cultural hub; and Rehousing – an online resource that she developed with members of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, and Design at University of Toronto to empower citizen developers to convert single-family homes into multi-unit housing. Janna’s love of architecture extends to teaching, mentoring and community causes. She has held teaching appointments at University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University. She regularly lectures and serves on award juries across North America and abroad. She presently sits on Toronto’s Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel. In 2015 she led the creation of an annual scholarship fund for an Indigenous student entering Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture.

Stephanie Mah, CAHP, is Creative Director at Giaimo, a Toronto-based architecture and heritage conservation firm. Her current projects and research focus on building reuse and sustainable alternatives to demolition, circularity in the built environment, community-building and placemaking, and heritage as climate action. Since 2014, Stephanie has held various positions at the non-profit charitable organization Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO), most recently serving as President of ACO’s Toronto Branch from 2022-2024 where she led advocacy, educational programming, and award-winning projects such as The Oculus Revitalization. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, member of the Board of Directors of ICOMOS Canada, past member of the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (BIA) Board of Directors, and past member of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada (SSAC) Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Sustainability Committee.

Stefan Novakovic is a Toronto-based writer and editor specializing in architecture and urbanism. Stefan is a Senior Editor at Azure Magazine, and previously served as Associate Editor at Canadian Architect, and Assistant Editor at UrbanToronto.ca. His writing has also appeared in a wide range of publications, including Canadian Interiors, Designlines, Building Magazine, the New York Review of Architecture, the McGill International Review and Torontoist. He is the winner of several journalism awards, including multiple National Magazine Awards (B2B) and a Canadian Online Publishing Award. Stefan has appeared as a speaker at the Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF), Toronto’s Interior Design Show, the Ontario Association of Architects Conference, the University of Toronto Munk School’s Walter Gordon Symposium on Public Policy, Architect@Work International, and ACO Toronto’s Heritage and Housing Symposium. He has presented original research at the 46th Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada Conference. In 2022, he was appointed a Next Generation Ambassador by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, representing North America.

Monica Hutton is an architectural professional whose practice focuses on intersecting climate and housing concerns. She is an alumnus of the MIT School of Architecture + Planning and University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture. Monica previously worked as the Property Asset Manager at The Neighbourhood Land Trust based in Parkdale, Toronto, to manage affordable housing and land within a community ownership model. She has held recent teaching positions at University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, and Toronto Metropolitan University.

Ya’el Santopinto OAA FRAIC is an Architect and Director of Research and Partnerships at the Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Canada’s affordable apartment housing supply. In this role, she leads research related to Tower Renewal, an initiative to catalyze reinvestment in apartment tower neighbourhoods. This work includes development of renewal standards, assessment of industry gaps, best practice for retrofits with residents in place, and other supports to enable Canada-wide scaling of these crucial housing investments. Ya’el is also a Principal at ERA Architects, where she leads ERA’s deep retrofit and affordable housing practice. She was Project Architect on the landmark Passive House renewal of the Ken Soble tower, as well as dozens of building- and site-rehabilitation projects on postwar apartment towers across Ontario. Ya’el is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.