Convergence
Sudbury is typical mid-size North American city. Despite numerous attempts aimed to counter the current trend, its downtown retains a negative image and remains largely unoccupied, except for parking spaces.
How can this city, like similar cities, revamp or reinvent the image of its historic core? The competition program calls for an architecture school to counter this negative image. Can Sudbury become the next Cambridge, Ontario?
Where should we position our intervention? What site or area is the most appropriate to settle a school of architecture?
The city block delimited by Paris, Lisgar, Elm and Cedar streets (east, west, north and south); in between the Rainbow Mall and Civic Centre, exactly where the downtown Transit Centre is located, presents itself as an ideal location. This area is overflowing with traffic. It has many retail spaces and already has a sense of urban importance. Basically, the heart of the downtown.
Urban Scale
The city block scale drives our intervention. We want to redefine the dynamics around Sudbury's urban pivot point. Elm and Paris streets are important vehicular arteries from which our site is visible. It's a pedestrian convergence point because it forms an axis between the mall and the Civic Centre while accommodating the Transit Centre. It brings together all demographics in the basic need for transport, a destination or passing by. Meant to become a beacon, an urban signal and an example of what Sudbury's urban fabric could become. Thus it's strategy location - a place to be seen and noticed.
Sustainable design
A better city is a sustainable one. An architecture school, today, has to be sustainable in every way.
Passive mechanisms are often best way to achieve this. They require little maintenance and prove to be more efficient than more active high maintenance strategies.
Density: Reusing vacant space in the downtown core is in itself a sustainable strategy. By integrating different programs (such as commercial, residential and cultural spaces), it assures that this portion of the city is economically sustainable.
Local: Local materials, such as nickel, wood, copper and granite, aim to encourage the local market and to reduce the energy needed to transport building materials to the site.
Green: The inclusion of green spaces, trees and plants would be included to improve the general environment as well as retain water during rainfall and spring meltdown, through simple bioswale, blue and green roofs.
Efficiency: Cold climate requires many months of prolong heating. Geothermal energy ensures, along with thermal masses and windows, that the heating and cooling bill are down.
(Competitor's text)
18 scanned / 12 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Schema
- Schema
- Schema
- Plan
- Plan
- Section
- Section
