Alumna Monica Adair (MArch 2005) was recently profiled in the Toronto Star as one of two emerging architects who are “turning heads in the profession.” The article highlights the difficulty that talented practicing architects under 40 have in winning large, prestigious projects, compared to year's past.

“Richard Sommer, dean of the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at U of T, says a pervasive risk aversion has set in among institutional clients and their banking backers in this country,” writes Joseph Hall. “That attitude sends most Habitat or Science-Centre-scale works to rock star architects or established, major firms.”

Adair discussed similar issues in an interview with Daily Commercial News last month after serving as a presenter at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's 2016 Festival of Architecture in Nanaimo, B.C.

Earlier this year, Adair and partner Stephen Kopp (MArch 2005) were featured in an article in Huddle about balancing both work and home life. Adair admits that sometimes it’s not always possible to achieve a balance, so she and Kopp changed their perspective on their experience with an overwhelming workload.

“If we don’t think of life as a balance but think of it as a timeline of what you want to remember in this world; we’re trying to focus on making sure that those things are fulfilled and important and we’ll find ways around that to make that happen,” Adair told Cara Smith.