Great architecture isn’t defined only by big ideas. It lives in the details—how a structure breathes, connects, and comes together. It is in the joints, systems, materials, and decisions that shape how a building is constructed and how it performs for the people who use it. The NORR Jack Lemay Memorial Award at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) recognizes students who bring that mindset forward, demonstrating an awareness and accomplishment in construction technology as well as academic excellence.
This year’s recipient, Jake Levy, was recognized for his third-year project Terraform—a mass timber community center proposed for Alexandra Park in downtown Toronto, ON. Terraform began as a conceptual exercise and evolved into a technically resolved system. “The whole idea was like peeling the building away from the landscape,” Jake explained. “I wanted to keep the park on the roof so the building lifts and the community center lives below.” As the project developed, it became a study in how a building can behave as a living organism. Mass timber structure, rainwater collection, and hydroponic systems were integrated into a single architectural framework. “The soffits and roof all collect rainwater,” he said. “It feeds a hydroponics center, so the building breathes and uses water like a natural system.”
The award was established in 2004 in memory of Jack Lemay, a long-time Principal at NORR known for his leadership on complex institutional and commercial projects and his skill in construction and delivery. It recognizes architecture students who have completed their third year of studies and demonstrate that same commitment to detail and making architecture buildable.
For Jake, that connection resonates deeply: “The award means a lot. It’s recognition for hard work. Our projects don’t just disappear after we submit them—they can be seen as real achievements.” His approach to Terraform reflects that ethos: physical models, joinery studies, and an iterative method grounded in the tectonics of building. “I’ve always thought about how things actually go together,” he said. “Model making and detailing are where the ideas become real.”
After a year-long co-op in Chicago and a research term at TMU focused on urban heat islands and material innovation, Jake returned with a broadened perspective. “I’m very passionate about sustainable architecture,” he said, referencing his 3D-printed terracotta modules designed to support moss biomes in unused urban spaces. “Robotics, fabrication, sustainability—I like pushing all of it together.”
Equally important to him is community. “I’m very passionate about helping and teaching,” Jake noted. As a research assistant and active mentor in TMU’s program, he supports younger students in Design Build and fabrication projects. “Passing on knowledge is important. You always need other people.”
That sense of continuity is reflected in this year’s ceremony, where past recipient—and now NORR team member—Cesar Rodriguez Perfetti helped present the award. The moment captured the spirit of the Lemay legacy: one generation of architects supporting the next.
Photo Credit: Jake Levy
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