Share to
Laurentian University Student Centre
By : Gow Hastings Architects and Bélanger Salach Architecture
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Public Building / Higher Education & Research Building : Silver Certification
The Laurentian University Student Centre in Sudbury, Ontario is a North-focused facility that serves students and members of the Student General Association (SGA). As the first standalone building in the university’s 57-year history dedicated to, funded and operated by students, the centre provides a mix of social, learning and support spaces that enhance the lives of students and gives the SGA greater presence and visibility in the heart of campus.
Following an innovative student consultation process, and a considered approach of connecting to the campus, the region and the landscape, the design of the Student Centre is highly responsive to Laurentian students and the unique Northern Ontario perspective. Laurentian is Canada’s uniquely bilingual and tricultural (French, English and Indigenous) post-secondary institution, offering a specialised education experience within a culturally and naturally rich environment. Located on a picturesque 765-acre campus minutes from a major urban centre and an iconic mining industry, the university is surrounded by five lakes, a boreal forest and nature trails, and sits atop a myriad of below ground tunnels and shafts.
The Student Centre enhances campus livability, improves social and physical connections, and responds to the unique ecology and topography of the Sudbury campus. Completing the student precinct, the flagship building functions as a vital juncture along the campus spine, linking east and west campus and giving students a centralised gathering place to feel more connected to one another where they had previously felt scattered.
The environmentally-conscious design has a markedly Northern sensibility. The built form of the Student Centre is inspired by Greater Sudbury’s changing landscape, the industrial heritage and the new spirit of this “brutally beautiful city.” Built on two floors on a topographically-challenging site, the building celebrates the bedrock on which it sits, and reflects the lakes and forests that frame its views. With a brow-like design projecting the L-shaped building up from its carved-out site, the Student Centre gives the SGA a strong new identity, rooted in and emergent of the landscape.
A predominantly wood and metal building, it is designed to withstand the harsh winters in the North and offer students an anchoring place, a comfortable home away from home, conceptualised as a contemporary living room providing warmth and shelter. Natural wood is visible throughout, running the length of the ceiling and the underside of the large exterior canopy, providing a warm reminder of the forest. The exterior cladding is comprised of steel panels, a nod to nearby industry and a robust shield against snow and wind. A high-performance building envelope, natural ventilation, and solar shading all work to reduce the building’s environmental impact.
The interior is a transformable, multi-use space, featuring a two-storey atrium lounge, that offers students a variety of experiences and interactions; a shared place to build kinship amongst friends and classmates and cultivate community and pride-of-place. The multi-purpose space encourages students and visitors to meet and socialize; lounge and rest between classes; grab a quick bite to eat; and study quietly alone or in groups. Open sightlines foster community while a central fireplace ensures a comfortable home away from home.
Collaboration
Architect : Gow Hastings Architects
Architect : Bélanger Salach Architecture
Interior Designer : Gow Hastings Architects
Engineering : A2S Consulting Engineers
Engineering : Pinestone Engineering Ltd.
Landscape Architecture : PMA Landscape Architects
Other : DesignABLE Environments Inc.
