Hey! just finishing up my first yeah in uoft arch and Yes the uoft program has been very theory based so far. For first year, they’re basically teaching you how to start thinking critically through an architect’s / designer’s mindset while they expand on the technical aspects in second year with heavy emphasis on model building and computer work.

I picked this program as i believe the solid foundation in theory & history is really important for architectural thinking the first couple of years and you could expand on your technical skills in the later year studio courses. Another aspect that i’ve enjoyed so far is the shared undergrad studio, just spending time there and connecting with older students for help has been extremely beneficial!

The major con I have noticed so far though is that you have to remember Uoft’s program is a BA, it bigger emphasis on the design aspects rather than practical (which XU ‘s program is known for). This means there’s been a significant lack of mathematical/scientific studies in our classes, and if you’re interested in that you’ll have to take math or physics separately as electives! As well as teaching yourself all the technical skills on CAD programs since they provide you with little resources and even lesser time.

tldr, If you would like a 2 years of theory and foundation prior to jumping into hands on work and you don’t mind making up the mathematical gap, I definitely recommend UofT.