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North elevation along Elm Street by Levitt Goodman Architects (LGA)

Levitt Goodman Architects reveal design of Laurentian University’s School of Architecture.

Canadian Architect, 2012-07-01

Toronto-based Levitt Goodman Architects have revealed their preliminary design of the Laurentian Architecture Laurentienne (LAL) School of Architecture, set to open in Sudbury in September 2015.

Under the leadership of founding director Terrance Galvin, LAL offers an undergraduate program along with a graduate co-operative program, and strives to teach sustainable building design for northern climates. It is anticipated that the design of the entire school will become a teaching tool via exposed building systems and construction details. As the first satellite downtown campus for Laurentian University, the project strives to act as a significant catalyst in rejuvenating the Sudbury core, not only by introducing a new urban landmark, but also by bringing an influx of students, faculty and ideas to the city centre that will positively impact other local institutions and businesses while stimulating further cultural and economic initiatives.

Each building wing is conceived as having a unique formal identity and a discernible programmatic character within the school. The two existing buildings are adapted and thoughtfully reused: the Telegraph Building contains faculty offices, and the Market Building houses the gallery and workshop as the centre of production and exhibition. The new North Wing is predominantly made up of studios and is the main face of the school along Elm Street, while the West Wing houses resource programming such as the library and theatre, and will have a higher level of accessibility to the broader community.

With an approximate $28-million construction budget, the LAL School of Architecture will provide roughly 75,000 square feet of space for students and faculty.

The two-phased construction project will see the existing building renovation ready for the fall term in September 2013, and the new building is scheduled for completion in September 2015.

Having achieved great success with their design of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge in 2004, Levitt Goodman Architects were selected as the design architects for LAL, and worked in consultation with AECOM Engineering, landscape architect Rob Wright, sustainability consultant Ted Kesik, and urban design consultant Susan Spiegel.