The annual Pug Awards, The People’s Choice for Architecture, celebrate the best in Toronto architecture and planning.

Founded in 2004 by Anna Simone, Principal, Cecconi Simone, and Gary Berman, President, Tricon Capital Group, the Pugs invite the public to vote on the best, middling and worst of Toronto’s newest real-estate developments. The goal is to raise public awareness of design-related issues and foster growth and prosperity in Toronto through design excellence.

By voting on recently completed residential, commercial and institutional developments, members of the public are able to have their say on the state of Toronto’s most current architecture, joining a growing movement that rejects mediocrity and aspires, instead, to a beautiful city.

To get involved, please visit  www.pugawards.com

The founders of the Pug Awards believe that an appreciation for smart, responsible and beautiful design in Toronto should start with the city’s youth.

With this in mind, Pug Ed was created in 2007 to engage Toronto senior elementary-school students in an exploration of our city’s physical environment via presentations by leading design and development practitioners, followed by a student design competition. The competition requires students to prepare a complete re-development proposal for a specific urban scenario, to be presented to a panel of judges verbally, visually and in written form. Winning students receive a certificate and generous monetary award.

For more information, please visit www.pugawards.com

Pug Talks strive to facilitate design excellence by examining the framework within which Toronto’s built form is created.

The planning and approval process is at the core of this framework and is vital to the successful development of our city. However, it can be highly confrontational, with major stakeholders competing for influence over design proposals. This fosters an environment where excellence in design is difficult to achieve.

In response, in 2010 Pug Talks were born, offering a series of free roundtable discussions on architecture, design and planning throughout the year. Participants typically include residents, city councillors and staff, design consultants and developers, providing them with a friendly forum to exchange ideas in a spirit of collaboration.

For learn more, please visit www.pugawards.com