Our concept is simple; a school of architecture that prepares its students to practice in Northern Canada should be housed in a building that reflects the conditions and culture of that place. We see this as a layered approach in which a number of ideas, strategies and gestures unfold in the overall design of the building. These layers include addressing climatic issues, highlighting a hands-on approach, a palette of local materials, gathering and community, capturing the spirit of the place, and conveying the experience of a northern landscape. The building works on all of these fronts to inspire its students and engage the community.
When we imagine a site for the NOSOA, we do not just see a stand-alone property bounded by streets. Instead we see a site that is connected to a larger condition--to a series of communities, a central business district, a nickel mine and factories, and most of all we see a site that is connected to Sudbury for now and for the future. We envision a new masterplan for the three blocks surrounding the OHL arena in the city's south end. A plan that includes a new transit hub, market and student housing, artists' studios, retail space, open space and of course Sudbury's new School of Architecture. This redevelopment is powered by waste energy from the arena and is sensitive to its context and climate. The southern facades of the new buildings terrace down to bring low winter sun deep inside each floor. With a rail network to the south, City Hall and a major public park to the north, and the city's main north-south thoroughfare to the east, this site has the potential to act as the gateway to the city!
Situated on the block adjacent to the arena, the NOSOA building is based on a clear and straightforward diagram. A southern and a northern mass are connected by an outdoor courtyard and a subterranean link. The southern mass is ground-related and connected to the landscape at two levels. The northern volume emerges from the landscape and is organized around an atrium and trombe wall that shields the interior from harsh summer sun. This space acts as a solar chimney, heating up in the summer time, drawing air through the building and out of the top of the atrium. In the winter, this atrium/trombe wall combination serves to collect and store energy from the low winter sun, and radiates it back into the building throughout the night. We imagine a control center for the building that monitors and controls the building's performance. Students can run experiments and develop first-hand knowledge of environmental control systems and sustainable strategies. This building strives to be a strong model and learning tool for its students and the community as a whole.
It is critical that the community participates in this learning process and contributes to the changes taking place within Sudbury. The NOSOA building provides integrated community space for local events and festivals to take place. Its galleries are open to the public and readily accessible from the main entrance. Most importantly, its facilities are open to public use, so that local craftspeople and artists can work in the machine and digital fabrication labs and borrow books from its library. Our vision of the NOSOA is one that serves both the profession and the community.
(From competitor's text)
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