Kickoff 2026 I On-site Assembly and Inauguration

After months of planning, designing, prototyping and fabrication, the project has finally entered the final stage. After disassembling, students carefully inspected, labelled and organized each component. With each piece playing a specific role in the overall structure, careful preparation and attention to detail were essential in order to prepare for a smooth installation day.

(Photos Taken By Downtown Yonge BIA, Andy Nguyen, Allie Male and Denielle Tiri)

Kickoff Team Moving Pieces to the Site

The team transported all the pieces to the final site, working together to carry the pieces through Sankofa Square, as well as unloading the bigger pieces from the truck. On site assembly required students to work collaboratively and problem solve as each piece was assembled to form the final installation.

Students Start Assembling the Base of the Structure

 

Students Begin Constructing the Geodesic Structure

Students inside the interior of the structure while installing the display

Students Installing the Alucobond Panels

The final step of this project was completing all the final electrical wiring. The STEM WORKS team applied the finishing touches that brought the project to life, showcasing the technical and creative work that went into the installation's lighting elements.

STEM Works Team Working on the Electrical Wiring

This exciting journey ended with inauguration day, where the Young Street BIA Team, the TMU Architectural Science Faculty and our sponsors from Upper Canada Forest Products helped the student team unveil the final structure. Seeing all the months of hard work come together in this final form was a rewarding milestone for everyone involved. This day celebrated the dedication, teamwork and resilience of TMU Architecture students. This project was a valuable and exciting hands-on experience for students, teaching how to bring a design to life.

Kickoff With Our Client, Downtown Yonge BIA

Kickoff Opening Ceremony With Co-Leads Saad Malik and Jose-Miguel Calle with DAS Chair, Lisa Landrum

Kickoff Opening Ceremony With Co-Leads Saad Malik and Jose-Miguel Calle With Pat French

Kickoff Opening Ceremony With Co-Leads Saad Malik and Jose-Miguel Calle With Shop Technicians Filip Tisler, Jason Ramelson and Jordan So

Taken By Downtown Yonge BIA

Kickoff Opening Ceremony With Co-Leads Saad Malik and Jose-Miguel Calle with engineering team member Abdul Samad Sheikh

  

Kickoff 2026 Team, Taken By Downtown Yonge BIA

Kickoff 2026 I Assembly Sequences and Final Drawings

After wrapping up our earlier 1:6 physical scale models, this week was all about stepping up to the real deal. We officially crossed the finish line on design development, culminating in a highly successful 1:1 prototyping iteration that proved our structural concept could stand firm at full scale.

We also received a massive boost to start the week with the arrival of our generously donated wood from Upper Canada Forest Products and Accoya. The team spent the first part of the week unloading, organizing, and moving the entire delivery into the workspace.

(Photos Taken By Andy Nguyen and Allie Male)

Students Work Together to Unload Materials

With our materials prepped and the precise node and edge details completely locked in, the team enthusiastically shifted gears from theoretical testing into full-on production mode. The workshop floor has been bustling as we started utilizing the CNC machine to its full potential, creating our nodes and members every second we could get.

CNC Cutting the Nodes

Workshop Technician Filip Tsiler 

Testing the Fit of the Node 

 

 

It has been incredibly thrilling to watch the newly arrived raw materials be cut, routed, and trimmed into the actual, full-sized pieces of our installation. Seeing these individual components finally take physical shape is a massive milestone that makes the upcoming assembly feel more real than ever.

Students Begin Assembling Nodes

First test of a fully assembled hexagon