BEAtoronto TALKS
BEAToronto Talks are a series of discussions hosted by architecture studios across the city, featuring the diversity of practices and practitioners in Toronto. Hosts share their learned experiences, ranging from personal and professional history, practice or project management, and other aspects of architectural practice. The Talks combine an in-person and virtual format, which has facilitated increased attendance and greater accessibility. Each talk is shaped by the architects involved, providing a window into diverse ways of practicing architecture. BEAToronto Talks qualify for OAA Structured Learning Hours.
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We are honored to have Kyra Clarkson host an intimate BEAToronto Talk on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. This session will be held in-person, starting at a MODERNest home for a tour and gathering at Standard Shop afterwards for the talk & networking. Event schedule and location details below.
Kyra Clarkson will talk about the Architect as Developer in Toronto’s downtown core. Kyra and her husband founded MODERNest Inc. in 2011 in response to what they saw as limited choices in Toronto’s housing market for people wanting a modern aesthetic but without the time, budget or inclination to commission a custom-designed home themselves. By creating quality, honest and inspiring homes with a modern spirit, they aspire to strengthen communities and revitalize the urban fabric.
This event includes a walkking tour of four MODERNest Houses, starting at House 3 at 101 Robinson St followed by the Talk at Standard Shop at 145 Tecumseth St.
Register for the event via Eventbrite.
In their BEAT Talk, Nathalie de Vries and Sanne van der Burgh will recount the projects and stories that mark their careers. Beginning with Nathalie’s story of how she became the first of MVRDV’s three founding partners to “take the plunge” and leave her previous job – allowing her to lead the construction supervision of the studio’s first built project, Villa VPRO – the conversation will reflect on navigating and succeeding within traditionally male-dominated fields. Sanne will connect these experiences to her own field of practice, working within sustainability and technology-driven design environments, and reflect on how this shapes questions of authorship, visibility, and agency today.
At the same time, they will reflect on the complexities of the “woman in architecture” label, a moniker that can both celebrate an architect’s successes and draw attention away from their unique contributions to the profession. Nathalie will discuss how, after initially rejecting the label, she grew to accept it as a tool to provide a role model for younger architects.
At this Talk, Vivian & Kara will discuss how architectural ideas develop across academia and professional practice. They will reflect on how research into history, craft, and local construction traditions informs their design process, and how ideas move between teaching, speculative work, and built projects. With a particular focus on rural work, the lecture will explore how vernacular form, typology, materiality, and sustainability connect academic research with contemporary construction.
We are honored to have the winners of 2022 Prix De Rome in Architecture - Emerging Practitioner conduct a BEAT Talk on Wednesday, February 5, 2025: Ivee Wang, Julia Nakanishi, and Paulette Cameron. This session will be held in-person at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, building, University of Toronto, room DA230 . Event schedule and location details below.
BEAT is a volunteer-run organization made up of architects, designers, leaders, and entrepreneurs creating opportunities for community-building, advocacy, networking, and mentorship.
BEAT Talks are a series of discussions held at the offices of Architects across the city. Hosts will share their learned experience.
BEAT Talks qualify for OAA Structured Learning hours
We are honored to have Maggie Bennedsen, Senior Associate at Kohn Shnier Architects conduct a BEAT Talk on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. This session will be held in-person at the Paul M. Cadario Conference Centre in Croft Chapter House, University College UofT. Maggie Bennedsen brings over two decades of her extensive experience in leading teams across a diverse array of projects to Kohn Shnier. Central to her approach is the commitment to creating designs that are inherently responsive to user input and firmly grounded in the seamless integration of technical requirements; through this collaborative approach, Maggie consistently delivers projects that not only inspire but also exhibit a high level of practicality.
BEAT Talks are a series of discussions held at the offices of Architects across the city. Hosts will share their learned experience. BEAT Talks qualify for OAA Structured Learning hours.
