NOSOA & the Revitalization of Downtown Sudbury
The proposed site is to be located in a parking lot across from the Tom Davies Square. In order to revitalize a downtown community, it is essential to embark on a strategy that promotes a pedestrian network. The conversion of an existing parking lot through the introduction of alternative programs will trigger the activation of the downtown cityscape. Thus the building becomes a catalyst for downtown revitalization. This location has been chosen due to its high visibility from major routes, high pedestrian flow, proximity to the bus station, and other programs tailored to student needs, such as the nearby YMCA.
The proposed site is adjacent to the only public park in downtown Sudbury. The current state of the downtown urban fabric and its lack of green public space have led us to recognize the importance of this park in our proposal of NOSOA and its activation of the downtown. Our strategy is to engage the building as an extension of this park from both a horizontal and vertical perspective. The horizontal extension has led to the implementation of an inhabitable green roof and plaza space surrounding the building, and the introduction of a living wall extends this concept vertically.
To activate the downtown core, the glass façade at ground level invites the public to observe and take part in the daily activities of the NOSOA. Introducing public functions onto the main floor links the building to the community, and invites the public into the academic realm, to observe and take part in the activity of the school. The building is thus activated from the outside-in and the inside-out.
Inside the building, the concept surrounding the ramping system plays a key role in creating places of encounter, mediation, and participation. It is designed to foster opportunities for informal, social, and intellectual exchange between all user groups; both French and English students alike, as well as professors. The gesture of the ramp exemplifies our vision of an integration strategy uniting the integral mixture of northern Ontario's cultural fabric, comprised largely of French, English, and aboriginal populations.
Finally, in order to deliver our strategy of high visibility and connectivity within the building itself, programs are carefully placed. Studio spaces are positioned to have visual relationships with formal review spaces to promote the student's awareness of the academic activities of their colleagues, allowing for a more involved educations experience.
(Competitor's text)
20 scanned / 13 viewable
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