Collaborative studio brings together architecture students from UB, University of Toronto

The architecture programs at the University at Buffalo and University of Toronto are engaged in a joint research studio on the potential applications of paper and fibers in temporary structures.

The ongoing research is being led by Stephanie Davidson, visiting assistant professor of architecture at UB, and associate professor Georg Rafailidis, through UB's Material Culture Graduate Research Group. The pair have been appointed as visiting professors for fall 2017 at the University of Toronto's Daniels Faculty of Architecture.

Students in the two programs are pursuing aligned projects that explore the structural possibilities of fibrous materials including paper, leaves, and fabric through a range of casting techniques. Studio visits in Buffalo and Toronto have fostered direct research collaboration. Students recently came together in Buffalo for a joint mid-term studio review.

Rafailidis says the collaborative studio "allows for cross-pollination of studio cultures, research methods and pedagogical models offered by the two institutions." Read more about previous phases of this research.