STEVEN BIERSTEKER

A stunning two story residence purched on a private mountainside with private views over the farmland below. The project was designed around a central atrium space that separates the private program from the public program. The building is clad in metal and commercial curtainwall to provide a durable and stunningly modern home.

A project focussed on the manifestation of the spirit in architecture, this church located in the Donlands speaks to the central significance of the alter within catholicism. The radial form emanates from the central alter and the exterior landscapes follows suit. The curved corten steel exterior speaks to the relationship between the church and the world, as the curved from protects the contents and the people within it. This project was a collaborative project with Kevin Pu.

Located in downtown Toronto at Jarvis and College this project comprised the research portion of my M.Arch thesis. The full publication can be viewed online. This gallery contains a small selection of models, sketches, and diagrams from the project. As a renovation of an existing 19th century cathedral, the primary focus of the project was to create an architecture that reflected the craftsmanship, durability, and sensitivity of the existing structure. To accomplish this, each element references other elements in the building through honest materials and expressed structure.

The urban corner housing project is a new typology designed to address the underutilized sites in downtown Toronto. The project boasts a highly insulated envelope, the integration of passive and active systems, and architecturally engaging spaces. Designed as a collaborative between five M.Arch and five M.Bsc students, the project operates at a tenth of the Ontario average, and remains an affordable housing option for families in the city. The project received an analysis excellence award at the Department of Energy Race to Zero Competition and has been nominated as a finalist in the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards.

This simple, yet elegant structure was imagined as a public boathouse on the Toronto Waterfront. The lower and upper horizontal planes float above the surface of the lake creating space to both enjoy the view and engage the water. The simple use of structural steel, wood decking, and glass enclosures creates a minimal visual impact while allowing the space to open up to its surroundings.

Located on the upper end of the second largest slum in Cali, the Siloe orphanage was designed with a modular bamboo system attached to a central gathering space. The central space is defined by its public program which orients itself around a simple water collection system which provides public access to clean water beside the sports fields. The private rooms are organized in 6m modules creating flexible rooms with an open concept allowing for cross ventilation and continual expansion.

There is something about carpentry and the act of making that nourishes the mind, body and soul. This is a small selection of a few pieces created as both commissions and personal projects from leftovers of other work. Each one has a very unique identity, used to experiment with new techniques and ideas.

The Centre for Urban Energy is a project designed for the Ryerson University campus to tie together the buildings on Church Street. The building connects to the existing building to the North and a large cantilever creates a covered space on the ground floor. The most critical component of this project is the connection to grade and the building's interaction with the public realm.

Designed to fit within a simple utility trailer, the Roulotte is a conceptual proposal for a playful cart to be located within communities to bring people together. The concept was to create an interesting form that could be transformed by a series of levers and wheels to encourage physical interaction and allow space for public performances and events. This project was designed and constructed as a collaborative exercise.

Conceptualized around its program, the study of ceramics, this suburban school expresses the process of making through its form, materiality, and organization. Rammed earth, clay brick, and ceramic cladding express the materiality of the program and the overall form and flow of the building give reference to a firing kiln. To encourage public interaction, the process of ceramics is centralized and exposed rather than hidden.

Located at the corner of Jarvis and Gerrard St. in Toronto, the dance school and public theater was imagined as a mass which has been carved to allow light to penetrate to the centre of the site. The theater was designed as a floating mass which suspends itself above the street creating a strong presence and revealing the entrance on the street.

The Church Street Condos project was designed for the Ryerson University campus area to tie together the buildings on Church Street. The building connects to the existing structure to the North and a large cantilever creates a covered space on the ground floor, activating the street edge and contributing to the pedestrian realm.

Located along McCallum Road, a fast-developing primary transit route in Abbotsford, this 4-storey commercial building offers high-end office space with great views, light, and access to the outdoors. The massing is carefully deconstructed with a glass-enclosed staircase, elevator lobby, and several cantilevered volumes creating visual intrigue. With 2 levels of underground parking, full-floor commercial retail at grade, and 3 cascading floors of office space above, the project is envisaged as a significant landmark within the Abbotsford area.

Located along Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam, this project involved an extensive renovation and addition of two glass atriums to an existing commercial building. A 10-foot unsupported stair was introduced to provide a new connection between floor levels. The building's white stucco walls, black steel fascias, and innovative glazing give it a rare simplicity. Along the north facade, the atrium features 22-foot tall glass mullions supporting an exterior curtain wall, while large roof overhangs were added to reduce solar heat gain and shelter entrances from the parking lot.

Conceptualized as a series of three cantilevered concrete boxes, this single family home sits embedded within a modest hill in Langley. Each concrete box is staggered and offset, cantilevering beyond the building footprint to establish covered outdoor living space for the storey below. The residence is glazed on the east and west facades with floor-to-ceiling curtain walls, while robust concrete walls anchor the north and south. With energy efficiency in mind, the building incorporates an extensive geothermal system for heating and cooling, as well as a solar array to supply and subsidize electrical energy.

Dámbü Tän Kets'ádań Kų̀ – Cliff Trail Elementary School is a design-build K-7 school accommodating 425 students, delivered in conjunction with Ketza Construction and Northern Front Studio in Whitehorse. Twenty-first century learning principles feature prominently, with open, collaborative learning environments and three outdoor learning classrooms that allow students to engage with the natural world. First Peoples Learning Principles are incorporated throughout, weaving Yukon First Nations culture into the educational design. Non-combustible construction was selected over mass timber to maximize building lifespan in the northern climate, with wood elements introduced where possible to bring warmth to the interior.

Thinkspace is the prime consultant delivering the new Simcoe Elementary School for School District No. 40 in New Westminster. Designed as a four-storey, 605-capacity school targeting LEED Gold, the building was revised from three storeys to four to better optimize outdoor space, access to views, and reduce the footprint on the adjacent Simcoe Park. The project is sited on the south-west corner of Queens and Eighth Street, with underground parking and shared play space coordinated with the neighbouring Fraser River Middle School. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026 with completion in 2028.

This new student housing development at Camosun College's Lansdowne campus in Victoria is being designed and delivered in conjunction with DIALOG as architect of record. The E-shaped building is strategically positioned toward the rear of the site to maximize privacy from Foul Bay Road and take advantage of the natural slope to minimize excavation. In addition to student residences, the project includes a multipurpose event space, retail, wellness and music rooms, a great room, reflection spaces, and outdoor gathering areas that integrate First Nations cultural expression. Design drivers include retention of old-growth trees, reduced site disturbance, and optimized material use.

Meaning 'we honor our children' in Stellat'en, this 12,000 sq ft health and wellness centre in Stellako supports the Stellat'en First Nation and surrounding northern communities with counselling, education, health, and physical activity spaces. The design was shaped through multiple community engagement sessions that expressed a strong desire to connect the building to the land and local fishing traditions. Key spaces are linked through public areas that connect to a community fire pit, walking trails, and adjacent community hall. The centre prioritizes sustainability through passive design strategies, mass timber construction using locally sourced wood, and a future geothermal district energy connection to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels.

This two-storey, 1,150m² administration building for the Stellat'en First Nation in Stellako centralizes key band offices including education, natural resources, finance, administration, and language and culture under one roof. Emerging from an initial feasibility and space programming study, the design places the building at the heart of the community between the existing fire hall and community hall, with a covered walkway connection. The second floor groups offices by department, with meeting rooms, a staff lounge, and secure independently contained areas for each group. The building is designed with an innovative wood structure, low-carbon heating and cooling linked to a future geothermal district energy system, and a resilient envelope suited to the increasing risk of wildfire in the region.