FOURTH YEAR UNDERGRADUATE
Brianna Vaga—Arcadis Architecture Award
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Brianna Vaga—Arcadis Architecture Award
About the Award:
Arcadis Architecture Award:
I grew up in car-oriented cities across the Greater Toronto Area with poor transit infrastructure. Getting to my school, which was a 10-minute drive from my home, would take me an hour via bus. I have commuted all 4 years of architecture school, and while it remains imperfect, the Toronto Transit Network (TTC) made me understand the importance of accessible public transportation in providing growth opportunities for a diverse range of people and creating a well-connected community.
From May to August 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete my cooperative education with Weston Williamson + Partners (WW+P), where I worked on Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC). I assisted in developing market-viable massing for the development within structural and geotechnical constraints, coordinating with urban planners, and ensuring a seamless integration of transit elements with housing and commercial frontages.
It provided me with invaluable work experience in a complex typology but also showed me the possibilities of urban enrichment that can emerge from TOC projects. I believe that TOC provides a unique opportunity to create walkable neighborhoods and developments outside of the downtown core that support and enrich its users. Walkability and accessible means of mobility are an equalizer. For many in the GTA, limited public transit infrastructure means turning down job opportunities or taking multi-hour commutes on the bus just to earn a living.
During my time at working on TOC projects, I learned the role TOC can play in setting new precedents on the urban planning processes and design of our city. TOC has the potential to bring about economic growth to a community, increase housing density, promote an accessible city, and provide a greater connection to the public realm. They can create communities where jobs, housing, and services are available to all, not just those who can afford to drive.
As I continue in my academic and professional pursuits, I intend to continue exploring how transit oriented developments accelerate mixed-use development that provides accessible mobility and services to create a more interconnected Toronto.
_____
The TOC project I had the pleasure of working on at WWP was a mixed-use development integrated with a future subway station and busloop. It consists of one mid-rise building and three towers, tapering in height towards the existing single-family neighborhood.
This project aligns with the larger ambition of its location to create a commercial spine in the area and foster a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.
We have integrated a midblock connection, public spaces connecting to retail on the ground floor, and podium overbuilds of station elements to create seamless pedestrian connectivity between the development and transit facilities.
Arcadis Architecture Award:
| An award created by Arcadis to recognize an undergraduate student in the third or fourth year of studies in the architectural science program. The student must demonstrate a genuine interest and aptitude for Transit Architecture and/or Transit Oriented Communities. |
From May to August 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete my cooperative education with Weston Williamson + Partners (WW+P), where I worked on Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC). I assisted in developing market-viable massing for the development within structural and geotechnical constraints, coordinating with urban planners, and ensuring a seamless integration of transit elements with housing and commercial frontages.
It provided me with invaluable work experience in a complex typology but also showed me the possibilities of urban enrichment that can emerge from TOC projects. I believe that TOC provides a unique opportunity to create walkable neighborhoods and developments outside of the downtown core that support and enrich its users. Walkability and accessible means of mobility are an equalizer. For many in the GTA, limited public transit infrastructure means turning down job opportunities or taking multi-hour commutes on the bus just to earn a living.
During my time at working on TOC projects, I learned the role TOC can play in setting new precedents on the urban planning processes and design of our city. TOC has the potential to bring about economic growth to a community, increase housing density, promote an accessible city, and provide a greater connection to the public realm. They can create communities where jobs, housing, and services are available to all, not just those who can afford to drive.
As I continue in my academic and professional pursuits, I intend to continue exploring how transit oriented developments accelerate mixed-use development that provides accessible mobility and services to create a more interconnected Toronto.
_____
The TOC project I had the pleasure of working on at WWP was a mixed-use development integrated with a future subway station and busloop. It consists of one mid-rise building and three towers, tapering in height towards the existing single-family neighborhood.
This project aligns with the larger ambition of its location to create a commercial spine in the area and foster a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.
We have integrated a midblock connection, public spaces connecting to retail on the ground floor, and podium overbuilds of station elements to create seamless pedestrian connectivity between the development and transit facilities.
