Project Brief:

“It has become clear over the past few years that Carleton University Building 22 (The School of Architecture) has come to the top of the list of buildings that need to be “addressed” on campus… It was completed in 1972, a year before the energy crisis of 1973, when energy was cheap and little attention was being paid to building envelope design… The School of Architecture is an iconic building of historical significance. Much has been written about its role as a pedagogical tool and its strong and valued presence in the architectural psyches of the students who have studied within its walls…

…Building 22 is already a striking example of a workshop building. It is a “critical space of collaboration, exchange innovation and invention” (Mark Miodownik, Stuff Matters). This is the character that distinguishes the School of Architecture from all the other more traditional teaching environments on campus. The intention in this Comprehensive Studio, dedicated to explore “modern workshop space,” is to add to the existing building in a way that recognizes and builds upon this existing character.

With this in mind, the studio proposes that students create a second skin for the building, at some distance from it, that looks after environmental issues and turns the negative aspects of the concrete structure into positive thermal mass. This skin will not only address environmental issues, but will also negotiate relationships between the Architecture building, the proposed Quad to the south, the New Sprott School building, and a proposed extension to the Unicentre. It will also be able to enclose additional space above the building that could house additional program and offer new opportunities for bringing daylight into the interior spaces…”

Project Abstract:

Conceived as a place of collaborative and experiential learning,  this project is a response to how physical, cultural, and social exigencies have undermined how the Architecture Building at Carleton University was intended to function. 

An enveloping space frame originates within the building and expands over its neighbours, courtyards, and a proposed student quad to the south. The space frame supports a new envelope for the Architecture Building, while expanding its programmatic footprint beyond its opaque walls. Between the existing and new, streets and open studio spaces thrust students outwards, exposing them to viewers beyond, reflective of the increasing specialization of knowledge.

The new envelope continues the strategies employed within the building, allowing it to be used as a pedagogical tool through exposing passive heating methods, and the integration of a materials library through cladding. The sunken quad reflects the existing Pit, a space for social gathering and ripe for interdisciplinary dialog. The school becomes an active participant within the campus fabric through the introduction of boulevards containing public amenities. Above the quad is a suspended lecture room intended for use by all, conceived as a physically and visually accessible object.

Links: Issued for 90% D.D. (pdf)


FRAMEWORK

Osmosis is the process in which particles or molecules are able to pass through a semi-permeable membrane, equalizing concentrations on each side of the membrane.

In a civilization where fields of knowledge are becoming increasingly specialized, the diffusion of knowledge is one of the ways in which we can avoid thinking about the world in fragmented ways. As architects, and aspiring architects, contributing to and engaging with interdisciplinary dialog is essential.


process

Site survey - interviews

Site and building analyses were delegated amongst the studio. Part of the site analysis was conducted through interviews with students and faculty within and beyond the Faculty of Architecture. Questions pertaining to use within and around, and perceptions of the physical building were focused on to determine how aligned with the original design intent they were.

 

Massing models

Massing strategies exported the existing “Pit” in Building 22, a central space for exchange and gathering, into the new quad which would also define the new entry into Building 22. Asides from being a simple in-ground pit, new programmatic opportunities were explored as being integral to the quad, either through a lecture space, library, auxiliary study spaces, and a pond that doubles as a skating rink in the winter.

 
 

the louvers

(Left) A tectonic bay model at 1:50 where the proposed interstitial space around Building 22 meets the new public lecture room suspended over the quad. The horizontal louvers on the south-facing facade were significant from both a pedagogical and environmental perspective.

(Right) The louvers play several roles. They:
i. provide seating and support for movable diffusers within the envelope,
ii. minimize the penetration of direct southern daylight by serving as light shelves,
iii. offer a large-scale materials library through varied copper cladding,
iv. and house a refrigerant system that absorbs radiant energy through the metal cladding.


final drawings and renders

Links: Issued for 90% D.D. (pdf)

SCAN04.jpg
SCAN02.jpg