Message from George Baird, Dean:

I regret to announce the deaths of Jeffery Stinson and Adrian DiCastri, both on Tuesday, January 29.

Adrian DiCastri was a distinguished alumnus of al&d, having graduated from the school in 1983. Upon graduation, he quickly joined the firm of John van Nostrand, soon becoming a partner in that practice. Adrian was later instrumental in forging the merger of van Nostrand DiCastri Hanson and Wallman Clewes Bergman, creating the firm we know today as Architects Alliance. An impassioned professional, Adrian was a militant modernist who also pressed hard to advance the crucial contemporary issue of environmental sustainability in architecture. His hand is unmistakable in such major projects on the University of Toronto campus as the Woodsworth College Residence and the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, this latter project designed by Architects Alliance in a particularly fruitful collaboration with Behnisch Architekten of Stuttgart, Germany. 

A Memorial Celebration of Adrian’s life and career will be held on Tuesday, February 5 at 2.00pm in the Great Hall of Hart House at 7 Hart House Circle on the University of Toronto campus. Adrian’s family and professional colleagues have generously indicated that donations in his memory can be made to the Adrian DiCastri Scholarship at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Jeffery Stinson was emeritus professor of architecture at al&d, having taught at the school for over 30 years. Together with his professional partners, Carmen Corneil, Terry Montgomery and David Sisam, he was responsible for the design of many notable buildings, of which perhaps the most distinctive is the original School of Architecture building at Carleton University in Ottawa. Jeff pioneered many of today’s key issues in architecture, including environmental sustainability, housing intensification and self-help housing in the developing world. Through his long academic career, he always distinguished himself by his deep collegiality among his peers, however intense the discussion was amongst them. It was a special pleasure for me as Dean to be able to facilitate the support of the Jeffrey Cook Charitable Foundation for his research for housing in the Philippine city of Cebu, the last research project he undertook, and one of the many pleasures of his retirement. His engaging personality will long be remembered by those of us at al&d who worked with him over the years.

A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held on Thursday, February 14 at 12.30pm in the Great Hall of Hart House at 7 Hart House Circle on the University of Toronto campus.

Please join me in extending condolences to the family and colleagues of these two distinguished members of the al&d family.

Those wishing to make a contribution to the Adrian DiCastri scholarship fund may contact al&d’s Senior Development Officer, Jacqueline Raaflaub, at 416-978-1473 or jacqueline.raaflaub@utoronto.ca.