The new Laurentian School of Architecture (LAL) will be the first new school of Architecture in Canada in 40 years. The school will focus on Northern culture, sutainable design and design/build in local communities, and will be the only tri-cultural (English, French & Aboriginal) school of its kind in Ontario. It is also the University’s first satellite campus in downtown Sudbury.
The triangular site will incorporate two existing buildings: an old CP train shed and a two-storey masonry CP telegraph building. Two new buildings will connect to these, making a 80,000 sf complex. LAL is conceived as a multi-functional Learning Commons and its design will be a demonstration of best practices in a number of areas: brownfield remediation, adaptive re-use, deep sustainability and new technologies. The project has recently received a substantial grant from the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) to demonstrate the use of Cross Laminated Timber in the construction of one of the new buildings.