Shhhhhhh The Trees are Talking

Project: AZURE Human/Nature Conference

Climate Change Mitigation in Architecture and Design

Client: AZURE Publishing
Customer Experience Design Team: Gelare Danaie, Karen Zwart Hielema, Bianca Weeko Martin, Majid Abbasi, Ramin Beyraghdar
Project Completion: October 2024

Penelope: a forty-five-year-old Austrian Pine formerly rooted at Innes College at the University of Toronto since construction of the college in 1976. Taken down in her prime, August 28, 2023, for building expansion. Keen to return to Innes College as a desk in the student lounge in 2025 and eavesdrop on student angst and contentment once again.

Willow: an eighty-eight-year-old Weeping Willow who lived until diseased and in danger of falling in a backyard in North York until the Autumn of 2020. Within earshot of recess times at Swansea Public School and views in her older years from her tippy top to the Humber River and Grenadier Pond. Now in pieces at the Evergreen Brickworks Children’s Garden.

Trees have their own ways of communicating. They rely on one another to share sunlight, resources, and intertwined clumps of roots underground. What can we learn from listening in on their conversations?

Penelope lounges on the sofa in the conference room, opens her eyes and discovers another tree. “Hey there!” 

Willow looks at her with curiosity. “Hello! I think I know you from across the wood lot, right? … out in Scarborough.” 

Penelope didn’t recognize her; she was used to seeing that gnarly side of hers. “Hmm… you’re Willow?” 

Willow nods, readjusting her position. “Trees invited to a human/nature conference. Who would have thought it possible! Thank goodness for complementary tickets. I heard they were expensive.” 

Penelope stretches her back. “What’s it called again?” “Human – Nature?”  “I think they’ll be talking about how we can work together.”  

Willow sighs, “I don’t trust these humans, they just talk!” 

Penelope sips her coffee. “Well, I took a look at the speaker line up and they’ll be talking about some pretty cool projects.” 

“Yeah, but even so - all they talk about is themselves, human-centered design! What about us?” 

“Oh, come on Willow, not all of them. They’re learning. Slowly.” She eyes the book in front of Willow, Margaret Atwood’s ‘Old Babes in the Wood: Stories’. She recalls how other trees talked about Willow’s wisdom. 

Willow sets down her cup. “You still have that young optimism. How old are you?” 

Penelope is a little giddy. “Well yeah, I’m young. I was rooted for 44 years. And have been hanging out on the wood lot for another year. In pieces, waiting ...” 

“Ouch! That's not long to be growing – what happened?” Willow thinks how Austrian pines can grow to 500 years, only 44. 

Penelope tells her that humans needed to expand the building, and she was in the way. Suddenly she gets excited, “But I’m going back - imagine! I’m moving indoors, to be a desk!” 

“Interesting... most of my pieces are at the brickworks, kids crawling all over me - don’t mind it though.” 

“You are such a grandma! How old are you?” 

“Eighty-eight.” 

“Wow, you were rooted a long time for your kind,” exclaimed Penelope. “Weeping Willows usually top out their growth years around 70.” 

“Yeah, longer than expected, and I’m still around, still wild at heart.” She winks. 

Penelope laughs, “So we live on – what did they call it? … circular economy?” 

Willow grudgingly admits. “They really need us, don’t they?”  

Penelope listens to music, Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’, sees people in the conference as she speaks softly, “I can remember the animated conversations under my canopy…. couples embracing, students chilling as I worked my magic.”  

“Oh, I can relate.” sighed Willow “The family that grew up under my branches had the most relaxed outdoor meals in my shade,” she remembers the urge to hug them – good memories. 

“Ok, so you’re not so skeptical anymore,” said Penelope finishing her coffee. 

“Mmmm... we trees and humans are deeply connected - we just need to listen to each other.” 

Why do I love airport design?

Written by Gelare Danaie

Image courtesy of Pearson Airport, Lift Program

I’ve been in the business of designing airports, train stations, and subways for a long time now. I guess the reason I chose this career path is that from a young age, I’ve been passionate about flying, traveling, and transportation—or better yet, transformation. Guess what? I used to paraglide in my twenties! But when I think more deeply, I can find other reasons for my passion for airports.

 #1 Emotional design

 I believe airports are emotional places. From the moment we start our journey, we are both excited and stressed. We think about what can go wrong and dream of arriving at our destination; joy and panic are intertwined. Remember, we are still the same species that weren’t meant to fly. Flying is transformational.

 #2 Time as an ingredient of design

 Nowhere more than in an airport do we need to work with time—time as an ingredient in our design. What services, amenities, places, and experiences can we offer to bring joy back to air travel? How can we account for the ever-changing nature of airports and design something extraordinary yet flexible? In the aviation world, nothing stays the same, even in a year, let alone over the timeline of a project. The challenge is to consider time as one of the key ingredients of design.

 #3 Gateway

 Airports are the gateway to a place, forever associated in people’s memories as the first impression of a location. We need to find and design that character. Our team at DEXD is part of the consulting group for Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 Revitalization Program. Our design mandate is to create a space that is “Local and Inspiring,” reflecting the character of the region we call home. We ask ourselves: what is the essence of Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe as a place?

 Now, let’s put all three ingredients together: emotions, time, and character. You’ll agree with me that designing an airport is similar to writing a novel—complex and fun!

Read more about Pearson Airport Lift Program.

Windows and The Seen

Written by Kha Den De / Lera

Edited by Cody Foo

King-Bathurst Station - Artist's Rendering

Image from metrolinx.com

Windows are integral part of everyday life, an essential component in every living space. But have you ever thought about their role beyond their basic functions?

As per definition, a window's function is to let light and air in and to allow one to see through. They come in various forms, however, people hardly ever pay attention to the windows themselves and only look through them.

Windows act as a façade, separating interior and exterior surroundings. At the same time, they are framing one's view, directly influencing what is seen and how it is seen. Depending on one's position in relation to the window, the gaze angle changes and so too the view from the window. One's perception of reality can be shaped by windows, as they have the power to allow or restrict one's sight - choose what to display or what to conceal.

Photos by Kha Den De / Lera

We can think about public spaces in a similar manner. People are constantly existing in shared spaces but rarely pay close attention to the surroundings. As designers and planners, we shape public spaces and form peoples outlook on them. Even if our placemaking efforts might not seem visible at a glance, people's positive experience is the greatest proof of our 'invisible' intervention.

For example, some of the upcoming Ontario Line South subway stations are reinstating heritage façades which comes with updating the original facade's design features, including the windows. While some of those windows will continue to serve their function, others will be covered to fuse with the walls. The choice behind keeping a window open or concealing it translates into design choice of shaping what is seen and unseen to a space user.

"Mission: Possible"

Written by Gelare Danaie

After 20+ years in architectural practice, traveling, experiencing life, and observing the connections between people and places, I realized what truly important to me is to be able to impact everyday life by designing spaces for people, and to challenge the top down approach of architectural practice.

Although the experiential design layer is the first impression for people, harmonizing and managing its elements is usually a tricky task for architects. Having the experience of being an architect in charge of managing the consultants in a large scale project, I realized there is a gap in the practice of overseeing all the public facing elements that include wayfinding, environmental graphic design, digital communication, advertising, activation, and art.

This is how DEXD came to life. I decided to create a platform that would combine architectural planning and experiential elements in complex environments. Our first major contract was Metrolinx Subway Station Architecture Design Standard. The mandate was to prepare a design standard for all the subway stations within GTHA area, the most important project being Ontario Line South!

While working with Metrolinx back in 2020 and as we were mapping all the architectural typologies of stations for the future line, I opened my personal notebook and wrote down my vision with a sharpie pen: «DEXD will be the Wayfinding designer for the line!»

Fast forward to 2023, my phone rang on a Friday afternoon in August and I got the news that we were chosen as the Wayfinding consultant for all Ontario Line South stations.

I believe business and life are similar, there are lots of ups and downs, wins and losses, but if you have a vision, you share your true values, and put all your heart in what you do, there is a big chance you will achieve what you want.

Attempts to Establish Myself in A Local Community

Written and Edited by Kha Den De / Lera

Photo by The Library Specialty Coffee

Have you ever thought about getting involved in your local community? - I certainly have.

After adapting to a new city and establishing a good friend group, I made it my next goal to become a part of a neighbourhood community. I've always wanted to be a regular at a shop, or be friends with a neighbour - I wanted to experience that feeling of belonging.

My first attempts took place when I moved to a new area. I started by exploring the surroundings to find places I gravitate to. Eventually, I discovered a couple of local businesses, including THE coffee shop. While I am happy to report that I started having friendly conversations with owners and employees of several local spots, the closest relationship I've established is with a barista in now my favourite cafe.

An occurrence that prompted me to write this post happened last week. Coffee in that place is always excellent, however, THE barista is particularly good at making matcha. For a bit over a year, I've been telling all of my friends that THE barista is making the best matcha latte in the city. So I came there with my friend, we ordered matcha and were chatting with THE barista. Meanwhile, another employee was going to start preparing our drinks, but THE barista stopped them saying: "I'll do it, she is my customer."

Being called 'my customer' felt really heartwarming. I suddenly realized that I was not the only one who considered this friendly relationship special. As discussed in my previous post 'People and Places', the community is what makes you feel at home, since being part of the community brings social fulfillment and simple everyday joy.

Like this coffee shop, any place can create a canvas for joy. So when designing a district or a public space, we should never forget about its occupants and what would make that space special for them.

Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT lines Customer Journey Mapping

Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT lines Customer Journey Mapping

Client: Metrolinx
Design Team: Gelare Danaie, Karen Zwart Hielema, David Schellinger, Cody Foo, Bianca Weeko Martin
Project Completion: 2024

With 43 stops across 30 km, The Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines are transformative projects aimed at enhancing public transportation infrastructure in Toronto, Canada. These two lines signify a substantial investment in modern, efficient, and sustainable transit options for residents and visitors.  

DEXD was tasked to map out the customer journey of these LRT lines, to ensure they are designed not just as transportation solutions but as holistic experiences that prioritize passenger needs and satisfaction. 

Combining station site visits, in-studio research, and community feedback, the DEXD team created five personas to represent future customers for the LRT lines. Mapping out journeys for each persona identified touchpoints such as pain points and moments of delight. These were then analyzed to inform strategic opportunities like the ideal placement of signage to facilitate easy movement through the stations and connections with other modes of transportation. 

The findings were then presented to the respective LRT teams at Metrolinx to provide comprehensive insights, including additional information pinpointing deficiencies that could be rectified prior to as well as after the system's public opening. This proactive approach ensured that Metrolinx was equipped with essential data to address any potential issues and enhance the overall performance and reliability of the LRT system before and after its official launch. 

By integrating customer journey mapping into the planning and implementation of the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT lines, Toronto is not only investing in modern and efficient transit solutions but also prioritizing passenger satisfaction and well-being. These projects represent a paradigm shift in urban mobility, where the passenger experience is at the forefront of decision-making, ultimately leading to a more connected, accessible, and inclusive city for all. 

A Eulogy to the Scarborough RT

Written and Edited by Bianca Weeko Martin

Scarborough RT

Photos by Bianca Weeko Martin

The Line 3 Scarborough RT train derailed on July 24, 2023, terminating service prematurely. Growing up in Scarborough, I saw the RT as something like a geographic meter stick for situating myself and my home, as my family moved from our first apartment near the intermodal Kennedy Station to the farther east fringes of Malvern—past the end of the line. The news of the closure surprised and saddened me. As a tween, I enjoyed watching all the graffiti tags and pieces on the walls flashing by on the tracks, and I felt a sense of unspoken comfort on the vehicles seeing the sleepy faces of immigrant students, workers, and commuters, which more closely here than anywhere else in Toronto mirrored my own.

When I began middle school, I had to commute home by myself, which gave me the pluck of a 12 year-old taking on the long commute from Yonge and Sheppard to Scarborough on her own everyday. I have unfortunate memories of waiting at bus terminals without earphones and transferring buses in the cold, but I never felt danger. I do not take for granted that a single bus fare could cover 20 kilometers of travel and provide me access from the inner suburbs to the city, and that this city would eventually become the crucial subject and setting of my adult days.

In architecture school, I took most of my internships abroad, and was thus able to develop a more holistic understanding of public transit with new reference points in distant places: Prague, Melbourne, New York, Mexico City, Berlin, Manila. I found the public transit system of Manila in particular more challenging than any I had encountered before, and so I felt a proportionally heightened sense of empowerment when I successfully decoded its mysteries: for example, one had to combine the metro with informal transit options like jeepneys (military vehicles repurposed into public buses) and tricycles (motorcycles fitted with extra seats) or even motorcycle taxi apps (i.e. Grab) in order to fill wide gaps in the daily commute. Indeed, I made use of active transportation. My aunt called me brave. But I recall a quote by Gustavo Petro, Mayor of Bogotá: “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.”

Nowadays, I find myself serendipitously working on a variety of public transit projects: customer journey mapping for new LRT lines in Toronto with DEXD; a public art plan for a transit system in Saskatoon. I have many hopes and dreams for these new and impressively designed transit lines, and I have heard the hopes and dreams of others through research and outreach sessions we have conducted within our communities. I recently came across a public art piece, ‘Masstransiscope,’ by Bill Brand installed in New York City in 1980, and wondered what something like this could look like in the city I call home. And I can't help but think back to the colourful, screeching rides of the Scarborough RT of my childhood.

Masstransiscope by Bill Brand

Photos by The New York Times

The Tenor Building Wayfinding and Signage

The Tenor Building Wayfinding and Signage

Client: BentallGreenOak

Design Team: Gelare Danaie, David Schellinger, Suzan Mecitoglu, Kha Den De/ Lera, Ramin Beyraghdar

Location: Toronto, ON

Project Completion: On-going

Vibrant and Dynamic – The Tenor is embarking on an exciting journey to enhance its signage and wayfinding experience!  

Nestled in the bustling heart of Downtown Toronto, The Tenor attracts a substantial flow of visitors every day, necessitating a streamlined wayfinding system. DEXD was tasked to transform the wayfinding in the building to make it accessible and intuitive.    

As a starting point, DEXD team has crafted a comprehensive Signage & Wayfinding Report, that investigated existing challenges and presented innovative solutions. The report commenced with a site analysis, during which the DEXD team conducted a site survey, created flow diagrams, and collected information and observations pertaining to navigation within the building. Subsequently, the team benchmarked projects of a similar nature and identified the most prominent wayfinding pain points present at The Tenor. By analyzing these pain points, DEXD identified opportunities for improvement and proposed the kit-of-parts approach for a tailored solution.  

As a next step, DEXD team will work on a detailed design package that will encompass key wayfinding elements derived from the proposed kit-of-parts approach. Stay tuned! 

Panopticons in Modern Cities

Written and Edited by Kha Den De / Lera

Allen Lambert Galleria

Photo by lucci - Urban Toronto Forum contributor

Do you ever feel like you are being watched?

Such feeling is probably common among those who live in big cities. It is normal to feel gazes in an open public space. However, one site that stunned me by its hidden exposure is Allen Lambert Galleria.

Allen Lambert Galleria is a multi-use public space with high people flow throughout the day.

Large open space, use of glass all over the structure, and the fact that Galleria is bordered by offices with inward looking windows make it easy to do observations from different perspectives.

Office workers can easily watch people walking down through the hallway. At the same time, pedestrians can also see those, whose workplace is next to the windows.

Glass walls allow people inside the building look at people outside, and vice versa.

The openness of common area, that follows the hallway, reveals a panoramic view for surveillance.

As a space for surveillance, Allen Lambert Galleria can be compared to Panopticon - in the atrium, people watch each other from almost everywhere. Unconscious gaze is what one experiences while being there.

While unconscious gaze is a normal occurrence in any public space, what can be done to make a space like this more intimate? It is important for people to have a choice between being exposed and having some privacy. As designers, what can we do to accommodate everyone within large-scale spaces?

Staring Out of Windows

Written and Edited by Suzan Mecitoglu

As the bus follows the familiar route, I can't help but be captivated by the subtle changes that unfold in the neighborhood outside the window. Each day, as I pass by, I notice the little transformations that, piece by piece, shape the character of this city I call home.

A new splash of color on an old building, a vibrant mural adorning a once-dull wall, or a blossoming garden in place of boring concrete – these small changes breathe life into the streets.

Watching these changes through the bus window fills me with a sense of connection to my surroundings. It reminds me that just as this neighborhood grows and evolves, so do I. With every passing day, I cherish the memories of the past while embracing the promises of the future, knowing that change is inevitable and brings new stories to this ever-changing landscape.

With each passing day, I am remined of the power of creativity and the potential for positive change. The possibilities are endless as we work together to build a dynamic city that honors the past while welcoming the promises of the future.

As architects and city dreamers, we can envision endless opportunities to make a meaningful impact on this evolving city.

Princess Hollywood Wayfinding

Princess Hollywood Wayfinding

Client: Cortel Group

Design Team: Gelare Danaie, David Schellinger, Suzan Mecitoglu

Prime Consultant: BDP Quadrangle

Location: Vaughan, ON

Project Completion: On-going

Welcome to the Princess Hollywood, a Signage and Wayfinding system for an exquisite development, designed to embrace community creation.

Located north of Highway 7, west of Creditstone Road, and south of Barnes Court, the complex is adjacent to a major transit hub and highway so that residents and visitors can enjoy convenience and accessibility.

To bring the project vision to life, DEXD team studied how various user types access the site. By understanding their arrival processes, we identified key areas where strategic placement of clear directional signage was required.

Mimicking the architectural design's vision

Drawing inspiration from the building's façade, we focused our design on framing the signs and taking cues from the strong grid structure of the building. The frames are strongly expressed and often offset from the sign face, allowing for a very clean and rectilinear look.

Wayfinding and Brand

Finally, we carefully considered physical signage elements like color, materials, typeface, and iconography, taking inspiration from the brand vision and architectural concept. To achieve a clean aesthetic, we opted for subtle colors that complement the raw and soft exterior concrete.

The use of faux wood, inspired by the wood timber beneath the portico, adds warmth and continuity to the design. Typeface and icons were also meticulously selected to show an elegant and sophisticated ambiance, aligning seamlessly with the building's overall identity and brand image.

How Animals Navigate and Use Wayfinding

Written and Edited by Cody Foo

Image from travelwayfinding.com

Wayfinding has been a part of human navigation since people began roaming the world and expanding their territories. The ancient Greeks and Romans started using signs with symbols, rather than using the stars as was custom at the time. Polynesians mastered methods of wayfinding to explore and settle on the islands of the Pacific, many using devices such as the Marshall Islands stick chart. With these skills, some of them were even able to successfully navigate the ocean in addition to their own land.

However, wayfinding is not a human-exclusive technique for navigating, animals of all kinds use wayfinding, from bees using landmarks to find their way home, to birds and sea turtles using the Earth's magnetic field to make their annual migration. Let's look at how some of these animals move within nature.

Bees are vital to our environment given that they continually cross-pollinate crops, allowing humans to produce large amounts of food. It is said that without bees, we as humans would struggle to survive. So how do bees find honey, their hive, and their way around in general? According to Menzel et al (2005) bees use individual "orientation routes" to learn about their surroundings, and then relay this information to the other worker bees. Using elements such as the sun, distance, paths and landmarks, bees are thought to build up a kind of mind map in understanding the relation of the hive to these landmarks.

Image from gardenerspath.com

Ants are another type of insect that always seems to know where they're going; they never seem to crash into each other even when there are hundreds around, and they always seem to have a clear mission and direction. Kohler and Wehner (2005) studied desert ants and found that ants establish outbound and inbound routes, guiding them across their foraging areas. The route-based memories are acquired during the first runs from the nest. Even if the ants are displaced they can find their routes at any place and then follow them home, like human roads. Ants leave behind pheromones that can then be picked up by other members of their colony. Additionally, they can smell in two directions with their antennae and use this trait for navigational purposes.

Image from cbc.ca

Besides insects, there are many species of animal that use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. While the exact method used by each animal is different (and still not totally understood by scientists), animals that are responsive to the geomagnetic field are able to orient themselves like we would with a compass. This allows them to not only find their migratory routes, but also allows predators like foxes to hunt their prey more accurately, using the geomagnetism like a range finder.

References:

Menzel, R., Greggers, U., Smith, A., Berger, S., Brandt, R., Brunke, S., Bundrock, G., Hülse, S., Plümpe, T., Schaupp, F., Schüttler, E., Stach, S., Stindt, J., Stollhoff, N., & Watzl, S. (n.d.). Honey bees navigate according to a map-like spatial memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(8), 3040–3045. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0408550102

Kohler, M., & Wehner, R. (2005). Idiosyncratic route-based memories in desert ants, Melophorus bagoti: How do they interact with path-integration vectors? Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 83(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2004.05.011

Magnetoreception | The Lohmann Lab – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). https://lohmannlab.web.unc.edu/magnetoreception/

Let's Harmonize our Buildings with Nature

Written by Suzan Mecitoglu

Edited by Kha Den De / Lera

Save Our Trees

Photo by Suzan Mecitoglu

As I walked past old houses that were about to be replaced by new ones, the words "Save Our Trees" drawn on the walls caught my attention. It reminded me of my favorite architect, Douglas Cardinal, who loved nature and believed buildings should work with nature, not against it.

Douglas Cardinal, known for nature-inspired architecture, valued his native culture, influencing his designs. His buildings blended well with the environment, emphasizing the importance of trees. The flowing shapes reflected his Indigenous heritage, showing harmony between people and surroundings.

Nowadays, there is a tendency to prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability. However, the incorporation of Indigenous principles into architecture has the potential to reshape our built environments. By drawing inspiration from nature and recognizing its intrinsic value, architects can create spaces that nurture societies rather than exploit them.

It's crucial to understand that nature isn't just a backdrop; it's vital for our well-being. Each tree and flower contribute to the delicate balance of life. As we advance in architecture, let's acknowledge nature's irreplaceable value.

So, let's prioritize green spaces in our designs, and cherish and protect the trees that make our world a better place. By thoughtfully integrating architecture around nature, we can build a stronger bond with the environment and live in harmony.

As I say goodbye to those homes and trees, I promise to respect nature and support the architects who share these values.

Back to Play

Written by Alisson Talancha

Edited by Kha Den De / Lera

Musical Swings

Photo by Daily tous les jours

A few days ago, a coworker brought her kid to the office, and as I saw him playing around and swinging in the hammock, I got reminded of the time my parents similarly brought me to their workplace. My parents worked in an industrial workshop space, where I got to create my little world using unplugged machines and office tool as my houses and furniture for my dolls. As a “grown-up”, I have always tried to keep this playful and imaginative part of me present with different degrees of success. So watching this kid play in the office, I couldn't help but wonder, how many adults out there would also like to play around, swing in a hammock or twirl in an office chair?

Well, turns out the answer was closer than I thought. Every day we see how movies like Barbie and Avengers bring childhood excitement to adults. Not to mention 'Disney adults' and other adults having kid-like birthday parties.

I realized most adults want to have fun and keep playing, embrace the childishness and let imagination go wild. Adulthood is not what we thought it is - it’s not just numbers, charts and grey suits. Granted, it’s a bit of that, but it’s also colours, games, fun, sparkles and whatever we decide it is.  

Playing has been very important throughout my life, it inspired me to pursue design, through which I hope to bring some joy to people of all ages. It is very important to create opportunities for activation and playing in public. As people involved in the design industry, we hold a privileged position of being able to keep this idea of playfulness alive, bring it to our projects and hopefully make someone's day more joyful.

Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia in Big (1988)

Image by IMDb