The Pug Awards, an organization that celebrates the best of Toronto planning and design, is holding a talk entitled "The Future of the Glass Tower?" on April 30, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Founded by Anna Simone and Gary Berman of Cecconi Simone and Tricon Capital Group, respectively, the Awards' stated goal is to "inform the public about design excellence and ultimately contribute to the growth and prosperity of Toronto." With that in mind, the event will feature David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini Architects, Graeme Stewart of E.R.A. Architects, and Sam Crignano of Cityzen Developments to discuss the future of high-rise design in Toronto. Matthew Blackett, noted urbanist and publisher of Spacing Magazine, will be moderating.

UrbanToronto spoke with Gianpiero Pugliese, principal of AUDAXarchitecture and director of Pug Talks, about the intent of "The Future of the Glass Tower?" and the motivation driving the Pug Talks in general.

"Are we willing to invest in building properly so that the next generation doesn't have to fix all our mistakes," is a question Pugliese said he hopes the event can address. Mentioning the sustainability of window-wall glass towers, their lifecycle costs, and the monotony of the glass aesthetic, he aims for the talk to address issues in the physical realm that are now, in the midst of Toronto's unprecedented building boom, more relevant than ever. We need leadership and "a venue for public awareness," such that Torontonians can understand why projects are built the way they are. He cited new glass office towers as an example - "why does it make sense to [use the] curtain wall [building technique]?" 

Specifically, Pugliese highlighted the need for more information regarding the forces driving the city's development, including the pressures on architects, urban planners, and developers and the impact of the building code. He expressed hope that the Pug Talk can inspire further discussion on "whether the future of architecture in Toronto will be human architecture" and whether or not aesthetic opportunities will continue to be missed.

The talk, part of the PUG Talks series, will be held at 6:00 PM in the Weston Family Learning Centre (Seminar Room 1) at the AGO. UrbanToronto will be in attendance - will you? Click here to RSVP.