Climacteric:
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-noun a critical period or event.
-adjective having extreme andfar-reaching implications or results; critical. 


This seminar investigates how notions of resilience, adaptation, and mitigation have shaped contemporary discourse around climate-responsive design and urbanism. Structured around three main themes: Terrains, Assemblies, and Codes, this seminar explores, dissects, and evaluates a selection of high-profile international design competitions, organizations, case studies, and projects that claim agency over “resilient design”. Through a series of lectures, workshops, and group exercises, students develop a literacy over spatial and tactical strategies of contemporary resilient landscapes, architecture, urbanism and design.  Over the span of the semester, this seminar provided students with the facility to grasp, document, and illustrate the fundamental principles of contemporary resilient design and urbanism. Through research, drawing, mapping and reading, students were able to assess and evaluate the various discourses, theories, and methods related to urban vulnerability and resilience. A series of lectures exposed students to a variety of topics that range from the role of ecological paradigms in shaping public policy to the notion of projective ecologies, and from the early work of urbanists such as the Olmsted Office to current design competitions such as Rebuild and Resilient by Design. Students develop a better understanding of the role of public agencies such as the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Broward County – Florida Waterfront Toronto, and the City of Toronto in championing, managing, and enforcing resilient urbanism.
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Engagement with Public Agencies: 
The course engaged with two North American public agencies that are at the forefront of climate resilient design and planning. First, with the TRCA / City of Toronto - Waterfront Toronto through its Design Review Panel, and second, with Broward County’s Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department. A trip to South Florida took place over Reading Week to participate in a workshop with policy makers and planners will take place in February.
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Course Guest Speakers: Resilient Toronto, Rihana Rajabal: Associate Director - Development and Engineering Services - TRCA, Amy Buitenhuis: Resilience Lead - City of Toronto, Nina-Marie Lister: Associate Professor - Ryerson University.