2026_TMU_SSAC-SEAC-Conference Sessions on Architectural Research

Critical Reflections on Methods Sessions_TMU_#31

Co-organized and Co-moderated by Dr. Terri Peters and PhD Student Yaxin Jiang from Toronto Metropolitan University, these two conference sessions were proposed and organized to feature interdisciplinary design research work by Canadian academics, students, and practitioners. As session chairs, we peer-reviewed a number of submissions and selected seven papers to feature that brought a range of geographic, thematic and methodological perspectives highlighting the state of the art in Canadian design research. Session 13 was held on Saturday May 30 and was titled "Architectural Research for Emerging Futures: Critical Reflections on Methods- Session A". The session featured Dr Jane Wolff (University of Toronto) "Conversation as Research: A Novel Method for the Climate Emergency", Anjara Rafidison (Laval) "Who Reads the Street? Artificial Intelligence as an Epistemic Instrument in Architectural and Urban Research" and Dr. Alberto de Salvatierra and student Grayson Moore's work (University of Calgary) "Institutional Migration and student integration as catalyst for downtown revitalization: A Qualitative Investigation into the Environmental, Financial and Social Landscape of Downtown Calgary Prior to SAPL’s Move". The session was received and well-attended. There were sixteen participants who participated in the Q+A about professional, academic and student perspectives. Later in the day, Session 16 was held on Saturday May 30 and was titled "Architectural Research for Emerging Futures: Critical Reflections on Methods- Session B". The session featured work by Julie Bédard (architect) "De la prestation à la réciprocité : repenser les cadres de collaboration en architecture", Doctoral student Yaxin Jiang, "Integrated Architectural Design Research: A Mixed-Methods Approach to the Adaptive Reuse of Infrastructure", Maya Mahgoub Desai (OCADU) "Building interdisciplinary Methods for emerging design futures" and Natalia Escobar Castrillón (Carleton) "Reciprocity as Method: Towards Reparative Design Research". The second session was also well-recieved and well-attended. There were twenty participants who participated in the Q+A about professional, academic and student perspectives raised in the presentations. Together, these two sessions offered important perspectives about the state of design research in Canada. As co-moderators and co-organizers, we were pleased to see so much interest in the topic, and our sessions were attended by more than 40 participants. These sessions formed part of the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada (SSAC) in May 2026 in St John New Brunswick.

Yaxin Jiang