Maxwell Taylor Scholarship goes to

Brigitte Martins and Jesse Bird

Master’s students Brigitte Martins and Jesse Bird have each won a Maxwell Taylor Scholarship for their thesis projects.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a student in his or her final year of the master’s program in architecture who incorporates building technologies into their thesis project. The scholarship was endowed in 1998 by a bequest from the estate of the late Mabel Leona Taylor.

Here’s a look at their work.


Brigitte Martins


Title: A House is a Home: Reconciling design and energy performance in two Toronto laneway houses


Description: The thesis explores the relationship between the design and energy efficiency of two Toronto laneway homes through energy and daylighting analyses. The research will result in a defined methodology to guide the design workflow of efficient and thoughtful homes.


Jesse Bird

Title: Building the Paper Economy: Finding spatial and cultural agency through recycled paper

Description: This project reimagines the future of recycled paper for the design and deployment of alternative building components in developing nations.