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Laurentian Architecture CLT project creates 'impressive profile'

Laurentian Architecture CLT project creates 'impressive profile'

School’s Phase Two showcases Cross-Laminated Timber construction

JUNE 4th, 2015 – A two-storey structure built with cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam wood products is taking shape at the Laurentian University School of Architecture under construction in downtown Sudbury, Ontario.   The CLT structure is part of the 54,000 sq ft Phase Two facility of the new School, and represents the most significant use of CLT in a public building in Ontario to date. 

 

“The assembly of the 9-metre tall CLT panels creates an impressive profile for Laurentian Architecture,” said Dr. Terrance Galvin, Founding Director of the School of Architecture.  “The CLT structure is innovative, beautiful, and sustainable, and reflects the School’s focus on northern design.” 

Officials of Laurentian University and its School of Architecture today welcomed guests, including representatives of the Centre for Research in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE), a funder of the CLT demonstration project, and representatives of Wood WORKS!, a program of the Canadian Wood Council, for a site visit. 

“This building represents a significant leap in the evolution of educational buildings and clearly demonstrates what can be achieved with CLT,” said Marianne Bérubé, Executive Director, Ontario Wood WORKS!.  “This will be an interactive learning environment where the wood structure itself embodies the innovative and sustainable design concepts being learned by Laurentian’s architecture students.”   

The use of wood instead of other construction materials in the Laurentian Architecture project affords an important environmental benefit, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 150 metric tons, as compared with a conventional building, according to a carbon calculation prepared by Ontario Wood WORKS!.

“Wood was a staple material of Canada's past, and now we are seeing it as the building material of the future,” said architect David Warne, of LGA Architectural Partners.  “It’s strong, it’s renewable, and it is emblematic of northern industry and sustainable design.”

 

There has been growing interest in the use of timber products like CLT, which is sometimes described as ‘the new concrete’ because of its strength and versatility.  Changes to the Ontario Building Code are expected to promote the construction of more and taller buildings incorporating CLT and other wood products. 

 

Phase Two of the Laurentian Architecture project will comprise both the West Wing and a North Wing, a steel-framed structure with mezzanines above the second floor.  The two new wings will house classrooms and studio space, a lecture theatre, lounges and office areas, while creating an inner courtyard and a public walkway.  The new structures of Phase Two will connect with the re-furbished historic buildings on the site, the old CPR Freight Shed and the CP Telegraph Building, which have provided classroom, studio and office space since the School of Architecture opened in September, 2013.  The School has accepted 70 students each fall since its launch, and looks forward to welcoming the 2015-16 cohort this September.

Laurentian Architecture students reap scholarship awards

Laurentian Architecture students reap scholarship awards

School invites community to end-of-semester Exhibition of student work

December 8, 2014 –  Students at the Laurentian University School of Architecture are sharing in scholarships and financial awards made possible by the generosity of numerous donors and supporters of the Laurentian Architecture program.  
 

Scholarships and awards totalling nearly $30,000 have been awarded to first- and second-year Architecture students in 2014. 
 

The awards include:

  • Build North Construction Inc. Architecture Scholarship (Anthony and Tracy Nutt)
  • Design-Build Fund Award (Blaine and Lis Nicholls)
  • F. Jean MacLeod Architecture Scholarship
  • Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Annual Scholarship
  • Peddler’s Pub Architecture Award (Dennis Gainer and Family)
  • RBC Architecture Award (RBC Financial Group)
  • School of Architecture Founders’ Design Award
  • Sudbury Construction Association Architecture Scholarship
  • Laurentian University School of Architecture Portfolio Award
     

“We are absolutely delighted by the extent of support for our architecture students within the Greater Sudbury community,” said Laurentian School of Architecture Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “These scholarships and awards help to strengthen our program while recognizing the excellence of our young architects.”
 

Many of the works designed and created by first- and second-year students during the 2014-15 first semester will be on view at a free Exhibition, to be held Saturday, December 13th.  Members of the community are welcome to stop in to view the work, enjoy refreshments and chat with students, staff and faculty of Laurentian Architecture.
 

“Last winter, the ice huts created by our first-year students for their design-build project were just so impressive,” said Dr. Galvin.  “This year, as the first-year class works on ice huts, our second-year students are building birchbark and carbon-fibre canoes, under the guidance of two expert canoe builders and in partnership with Wahnipitae First Nation.  This is another superb hands-on learning exercise, and our students are rightly proud of what they’ve achieved,” he added.
 

The Exhibition runs from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Laurentian University School of Architecture Studio, 85 Elm Street, and is free and open to the public. 

School of Architecture Marks Grand Opening

School of Architecture Marks Grand Opening

Ontario premier says new school will create jobs, opportunities for future generations

September 4, 2013 – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne today cut a ceremonial ribbon to officially launch the Laurentian University School of Architecture, the first school of architecture to open in Canada in 45 years.    

 

The Premier stood alongside Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux, Minister of State for Regional Economic Development (Northern Ontario) the Honourable Greg Rickford, and Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk, surrounded by members of the School’s Fall 2013 charter class.

 

“I know this program will lead so many young people here in the North to rewarding jobs and great opportunities. That is why we are proud to have given Laurentian University our support, to help nurture the talent that exists in this community and connect more people to great careers,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne.

 

Laurentian Architecture’s first cohort of 70 students will follow a curriculum informed by sustainable design practices and design that incorporates the natural environment.  In future years the School will also offer the only French-language Master of Architecture program in Canada outside Quebec.  By September 2018, the school will accommodate 400 students and more than 30 faculty and staff, in a landmark building designed by LGA Architectural Partners.

 

“Through strategic investments such as this, our Government proudly supports projects which create meaningful opportunities for young people in our region,” said Minister Rickford. "By investing in local priorities and collaborating with strong community partners like Laurentian University, our Government is delivering on its commitment to support innovative projects which spur job creation and economic growth, and lay the foundations for the long-term prosperity of Northern Ontario.”

 

“This is an exciting new era for Laurentian, for Ontario and for the architecture and design communities,” said President Dominic Giroux.  “Seventy new students of architecture are just beginning their studies and hundreds more will follow in time.   They represent the heart of a bright, creative design culture, and they will make their mark in communities here and abroad for years to come.”

 

“The Laurentian School of Architecture has already brought fresh energy and excitement to our city’s core,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Marianne Matichuk.  “As the School grows and develops, it will support our creative industries and generate many new opportunities in our city and across the North.”

 

 

In its inaugural phase, Laurentian Architecture is housed in two renovated heritage buildings in the heart of downtown Sudbury.  The CPR Telegraph Building (1914) and the CPR Rail Shed (1905) have been refurbished and adapted to provide studio/atelier spaces, meeting rooms and offices, with some of the original design features preserved and enhanced.

 

Beginning in 2014, the second phase of the project will see new construction of 65,000 sq. ft. to incorporate the existing buildings and to add the library, lecture hall and workshop. Laurentian Architecture will also showcase the first large-scale use of Cross-Laminated Timber in a public building in Ontario, through the support of the Centre for Research in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE).

 

“Our School will be a teaching tool in itself, as well as a locus for learning through Francophone and Indigenous cultures, designing in winter cities, and the use of natural materials,” said Laurentian Architecture’s Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “We believe that our curricular mandate, combined with the diverse talents and interests of our faculty and of our students, will give this school a remarkable signature in the field of Canadian architecture.”

 

Ribbon cutting at School of Architecture

Michael Atkins, Blaine Nicholls, Marianne Matichuk, Greg Rickford, Kathleen Wynne, Rick Bartolucci, Steve Miller, Douglas Cardinal, Terrance Galvin, Dominic Giroux.

 

 

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury and plans for a new campus in Barrie, Laurentian offers more than 175 programs, including a growing number of programs for the 1,200 students studying in Barrie. Laurentian has the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario after 6 months at 92% and 95% after two years. The University receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest average class sizes in Canada.

 

 

Laurentian Architecture Launches ‘Visions in Canadian Design’

Laurentian Architecture Launches ‘Visions in Canadian Design’

Architects Douglas Cardinal, Étienne Gaboury Will Speak in Sudbury

August 22, 2013 – Media and all members of the Sudbury community are invited to take part in the Laurentian University School of Architecture’s inaugural lecture series, “Visions in Canadian Design.” The series is being launched in conjunction with the official opening of Canada’s newest school of architecture on September 4th, 2013.

The series opens on the evening of Wednesday, September 4th with a free public lecture by one of Canada’s most celebrated architects, Douglas Cardinal. 

 

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Cardinal is the architect of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the National Museum of the American Indian, among other landmark buildings.  Of Blackfoot and Métis heritage, Cardinal is known for his flowing masonry curves and his strong identification with the natural environment.  The Douglas Cardinal lecture will be held September 4th at 6:00 pm at the Sanctuary, St. Andrew’s Place, 111 Larch Street in downtown Sudbury.

 

Another seminal Canadian architect, Étienne Joseph Gaboury will deliver a public lecture the following Wednesday, September 11th.  Gaboury is the architect of the Royal Canadian Mint, St.Boniface Cathedral and Precious Blood Church, all in Winnipeg.

 

The series represents a unique opportunity for people interested in architecture, design and urban planning to hear from the leading architects practicing in Canada today, according to Laurentian Architecture Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “We are honoured to have such leading figures as Douglas Cardinal and Étienne Gaboury here with us, to talk about their work and to help us celebrate the launch of the School,” he said. “We believe people in the Greater Sudbury community will find all the speakers thought-provoking and inspiring, as we consider the built environment and the way we live as a society.”

 

Future guest lecturers will include Sudbury-born Richard de la Riva, and Raymond Moriyama, designer of Sudbury’s renowned snowflake-shaped science centre, Science North.  All lectures will be part of the month-long celebration of the opening of the School of Architecture.

 

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury, it now offers a growing number of programs in Barrie to the 1,200 students located on that campus. Laurentian has the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario after 6 months at 92% and 95% after two years. The University receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest average class sizes in Canada.

Laurentian Architecture Welcomes Fall 2013 Charter Class

Laurentian Architecture Welcomes Fall 2013 Charter Class

70 students confirmed to begin architecture studies in September

August 6, 2013 – The Laurentian University School of Architecture is pleased to be welcoming the charter class of students for the Fall 2013 launch of Canada’s newest architecture school.

Of the applications received from across the country, Laurentian Architecture has confirmed 70 students to begin studies at the downtown Sudbury site of the new school.  Classes will start on September 4. 

 

“We have been tremendously impressed by the vitality and the diversity of the applications we’ve received,” said Laurentian Architecture’s Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “There is an exciting creative spark in these young people, and we know that our school is off to a very promising start.”

 

Students were selected based on their creative portfolios, personal letters of application, OSSD grades, and letters of reference. Dr. Galvin says the portfolios displayed a “high calibre of visually talented people, with diverse skills in fine arts. The portfolios were very strong, among the best that I’ve seen in my career.” 

 

The first class at Laurentian Architecture includes 40 female and 30 male students, most of whom are from northern Ontario and other regions of the province.  More than 17 per cent are francophone or fluent in French, and 7 per cent are indigenous students.  Laurentian Architecture will specialize in northern and sustainable design, with a particular focus on incorporating francophone and aboriginal culture, history and design in the curriculum.  Each year, Francophone and Indigenous students will be eligible for renewable Departmental scholarships, in addition to the financial support offered to all Laurentian University students. A donation of $100,000 from the University’s Alumni Association helps to finance these Architecture scholarships.

 

The Laurentian Architecture program includes two co-op work placements in the undergraduate program.  Members of the Fall 2013 cohort will have terms of co-operative study beginning in the summer of 2014. Students will also take part in international co-op placements by their 3rd year of study. 

 

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University is one of the fastest growing universities in Canada in the past decade, now serving close to 10,000 students. With its main campus in Sudbury, it now offers a growing number of programs in Barrie to the 1,200 students located on that campus. Laurentian has the highest post-graduation employment rates in Ontario after 6 months at 92% and 95% after two years. The University receives high recognition for its enviable class sizes, having one of the lowest average class sizes in Canada.

Laurentian Architecture Receives Fednor Funding

Laurentian Architecture Receives Fednor Funding

September 21, 2012 - A $5-million dollar investment by the federal government’s regional development program in Laurentian University’s School of Architecture will help to fund construction of the new state-of-the-art facility at the historic crossroads of Downtown Sudbury.   

The funding announcement was made this morning at the downtown project office of Laurentian Architecture by Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement, the Minister responsible for FedNor.   

“By helping establish Canada’s first school of architecture in more than 40 years right here in Northern Ontario, our Government is delivering on its commitment to develop a competitive and diversified economy, create jobs, and support long-term growth and prosperity,” said Minister Clement.   

The $5-million is provided through FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program.  It will help to support the construction of a new, 65,000-sq-ft landmark building at the intersection of Elm and Elgin Streets in the heart of Sudbury.  The funds will also support the renovation of two historic buildings at the site, both of which will be incorporated into the design of Canada’s newest School of Architecture.   

“This forward-looking investment by the Canadian government, along with the support previously affirmed by the Ontario government and the City of Sudbury, brings us close to our target for the capital cost of this ambitious project,” said Laurentian Vice President, Administration and Project Steering Committee Chair, Carol McAulay.  “With capital funding almost fully in place, and the design work underway, we are on track to welcome our first Architecture students in the fall of 2013,” she added.   

“We appreciate the federal government’s support of the vision for our School of Architecture,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux.  “This represents the latest in a series of federal government investments in Laurentian University, which include significant investments in support of our Vale Living With Lakes Centre, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.   With the new School of Architecture moving ahead to a fall 2013 launch, Laurentian and its partners are building a solid foundation for the future growth and development of Sudbury and Northern Ontario.”  

For more information on the School of Architecture, please visit www.laurentianarchitecture.ca