Home

Led by Dr. Jean-Pierre Chupin, Canada Research Chair from the Université de Montréal, the ACME Chair’s research contributes to the improvement of the quality of built environments. Research projects, ideas competitions, critical exhibitions and databases each support the capacity of buildings and public spaces to be evaluated and discussed in terms of equity, social value and sustainability. These issues, related to a comprehensive and inclusive view of quality in design, are addressed through design awards and competitions held in Canada over the past 20 years.

NEWS

PEOPLE

How can we collect the diversity of quality lived experiences?

The City of Montreal has selected the Canada Research Chair in Architecture for research into the lived experience of quality by users of public buildings. Jean-Pierre Chupin, Bechara Helal and Carmela Cucuzzella will develop a protocol for collecting lived experiences with doctoral students: Firdous Nizar, Paloma Castonguay-Rufino, Yolene Handabaka, Shantanu Biswas Linkon, Cyrille Tchango Ngamaleu of the Individualized PhD in Architecture program. The proposal from the Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence (CRC-ACME) team was selected in Stream 1 of the call "Developing a Stronger Design Culture Together - Edition 2" (Call for Proposals 2023-2024). Project: Protocol for study and qualitative assessment of the social value of public buildings through documentation of users’ lived experiences Description: A protocol for post-occupancy quality assessment, describing methods for gathering and studying accounts of lived experiences in municipal spaces and buildings, and for compilation of a set of remarkable lived-experience stories and records. The goal is to better understand the factors that influence the quality of lived experiences in those spaces and buildings. This project will enrich the strategies and actions for Sustaining Quality outlined in the Design Montréal Quality Toolkit (Quality Operation section). It will also contribute to achievement of the results targeted by the Montréal 2030 Strategic Plan, notably as concerns the following priority: Priority 19 – Provide all Montrealers with safe, quality living environments and a local response to their needs More information on CRC-ACME: https://crc.umontreal.ca More information on the Design Montréal program: https://designmontreal.com/en/calls/developing-a-stronger-design-culture-together-2nd-edition?section=3948
PEOPLE

Two doctoral students defend their individualized doctorate in architecture (Mandana Bafghinia and Lucie Palombi)

Mandana Bafghinia, a doctoral student in cotutelle between Université de Montréal and Université Lyon 2, under the co-direction of Jean-Pierre Chupin and Manuel Appert, defended her thesis: The Skyscraper's Summit, as a Beacon and a Viewing Platform: New York, Paris, Montreal, Shanghai December 14th, 2023 Thesis directors: Université de Montréal: Professor Jean-Pierre Chupin, Architecture Université Lyon 2: Professors Christian Montes and Manuel Appert, Geography Jury members: Professor William Straw, External Examiner, McGill University Professor Xiangning Li, Jury Member, Tongji University Izabel Fraga Do Amaral E Silva, President-Rapporteur, Faculté d'aménagement - École d'architecture, Université de Montréal Carmela Cucuzzella, Dean, Faculté d'aménagement, Université de Montréal https://architecture.umontreal.ca/lecole/nouvelles/nouvelle/news/detail/News/avis-de-soutenance-de-these-de-mandana-bafghinia/ Lucie Palombi, doctoral student under the direction of Jean-Pierre Chupin, defended her thesis: De la textualité du projet professionnel en situation de concours en architecture: hermeneutique et comparaison de textes liés à des projets lauréats de concours d'architecture au Québec entre 2010 et 2020 January 15th, 2024 Thesis director: Professor Jean-Pierre Chupin, Faculté d'aménagement - École d'architecture, Université de Montréal Jury members: Pierre Chabard, External Examiner, École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris Alice Covatta, Jury Member, Faculté d'aménagement - École d'architecture, Université de Montréal Izabel Fraga Do Amaral E Silva, President, Faculté d'aménagement - École d'architecture, Université de Montréal Michel Max Raynaud, Dean's Representative, Faculté d'aménagement, Université de Montréal https://architecture.umontreal.ca/lecole/nouvelles/nouvelle/news/eventDetail/Event/avis-de-soutenance-de-these-de-lucie-palombi-1/
PUBLICATIONS

Mapping the impact of rising oceans on high-rise buildings worldwide

Mandana Bafghinia and Jean-Pierre Chupin, assisted by master's student Conor DeSantis, publish a report funded by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats   To discover the maps: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5dd6e81456e04204af90a3c209dfd76b   To consult the report: Bafghinia, M., Chupin, J.-P., Skyscrapers as a Complex Response to Rising Waters: Resilience and Adaptability. Report summarizing the result of the 2019 CTBUH Student Research Project published on the platform of the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (2023) https://global.ctbuh.org/resources/papers/4600-Bafghinia_SkyscrapersAsAComplexResponse.pdf
PEOPLE

Two Post-Docs Join the Partnership on Quality Coordination Team

Following public consultation and job posting, two postdoctoral researchers have been recruited to assist the SSHRC Quality in the Built Environment (QBE) partnership coordination team. Maria Patricia Farfan Sopo, a new doctor from McGill University, is funded by the partnership's SSHRC budget, while Morteza Hazbei, a new doctor from Concordia University, is funded by the complementary budget granted by Université de Montréal to the Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence. The biographical summaries below will help you appreciate their remarkable personal and academic careers. Welcome to Maria Patricia and Morteza! Dr. Maria Patricia Farfan Sopo My personal, academic and professional background – or how I have come to view and approach the field of the built environment – started with my undergraduate studies in my native Colombia, getting closed to sustainability issues in Latin American regions, and post-graduate experience acquired during my Master (Minimum Cost Housing McGill University) – and Ph.D. in History and Theory (McGill University) completed on February 2023. In my doctoral work I examine the spatial transformations carried out by Indigenous communities from the Colombian Pacific region who create a pacifist movement through culture recognition in the midst of violence, with special focus on the Women and political force who created the ephemeral built environment as territory-great house. I have held a wide range of academic administrative and leadership positions, while working in conjunction with diverse communities and associations. This has given me a broad perspective of academia and has prepared me to efficiently collaborate with experts from different disciplines and cultures. Dr. Morteza Hazbei I earned my PhD from Concordia University in September 2023, focusing on enhancing the sustainability of our built environment through the integration of livability, energy efficiency, and contextual design. This interdisciplinary exploration allowed me to investigate the factors that contribute to the quality of our built environment from both architectural and engineering perspectives. Concurrently, I served as a lead student researcher in Concordia's SSHRC partnership project, delving into the interconnectedness of livability, decarbonization, and biodiversity to foster an inclusive and equitable built environment, especially for marginalized demographics like the elderly people. Additionally, my role as Vice President on the SSHRC partnership graduate student committee provided valuable collaborative opportunities with students across diverse disciplines, offering me a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of built environment quality—perfectly aligning with my research focus.   Source : https://livingatlasofquality.ca/home
PEOPLE

4 doctoral students receive scholarships from the Canada Research Chair in Architecture (CRC-ACME)

The following four doctoral students in architecture each receive a $12,000 scholarship for 2023-2024 from the Canada Research Chair in Architecture, Competitions and Mediations of Excellence, held by Jean-Pierre Chupin. Shantanu Biswas Linkon, architect originally from Bangladesh Paloma Castonguay-Rufino, Canadian architect of Spanish origin Yolene Handabaka Ames, Canadian architect originally from Peru Cyrille Jérôme Tchango Ngamaleu, architect from Cameroon   These four students are enrolled under the supervision or co-supervision of Jean-Pierre Chupin in the individualized Ph.D. program in architecture, and are working on the following topics: Shantanu Biswas Linkon. Re-evaluating the Social Value of Architecture in the Public Realms through Inclusiveness, Environmental Justice, and Spatial Justice. PhD individualisé en architecture. (Université de Montréal). (Septembre 2022) Paloma Castonguay-Rufino. La réutilisation architecturale en tant qu'action climatique : Vers un cadre comparatif pour la reconnaissance des valeurs des vestiges industriels urbains au Canada. PhD individualisé en architecture. (Université de Montréal). Directeur. (Septembre 2022) Yolene Handabaka. Comparative analysis of heritage public buildings at risk of demolition through the filter of social value as a parameter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). PhD individualisé en architecture. (Université de Montréal). Co-directrice Carmela Cucuzzella. (Septembre 2023) Cyrille Jérôme Tchango Ngamaleu. L'architecture au service de la santé : mesure de la qualité thérapeutique de l’espace architectural en milieu hospitalier. PhD individualisé en architecture. (Université de Montréal). (Septembre 2023)
EVENTS

Quality Partnership agenda for 2023-2024 and an overview of the calendar

Agenda
PUBLICATIONS

Jean-Pierre Chupin presents neuroarchitecture in La Presse

On the occasion of accessibility week at the Senate, La Presse echoes the research coordinated by researchers from the Université de Montréal who are members of LEAP and the SSHRC partnership on quality. Click here to read the article.
PUBLICATIONS

The Rise of Awards in Architecture, a new book edited by Chupin, Cucuzzella and Adamczyk

The Rise of Awards in Architecture is the first scientific study to focus on awards in architecture and the built environment. This book analyzes in detail what these awards are meant to embody, symbolize and measure. Find out the authors' thoughts on their respective chapters in video!
EVENTS

Video of the roundtable: What is an architecture award worth?

Once a symbol of excellence and exception, architecture and design prizes, which aim to reward achievements, have multiplied exponentially in recent years. This debate was devoted to questions about the value of these awards, considering their multiplication.

SCIENCE BLOG

ABOLISHING AWARD CATEGORIES GUARANTES NEITHER FAIRNESS NOR OPENNESS
September 27 2023 / Annie Thao Vy Nguyen (Étudiante) + Jean-Pierre Chupin, Ph.D.
SURVEY VERSUS COMPETITION: SIMULACRUM AND DEMOCRACY
September 11 2023 / Jean-Pierre Chupin et Jacques White