It is all about design - designing better communities and their economies.
A school of architecture, the first in Canada in 35 years, located in the downtown core, could be the catalyst for redesigning the downtown, the economy of this city and the rest of the north, said architect Blaine Nichols to city council Wednesday night at Tom Davies Square.
He was updating council on the progress of the proposed school of architecture project. A steering committee made up of architects and academics, local and outside, and city officials has been investigating the feasibility of locating Canada's first new school of architecture in 40 years.
The emphasis will be on northern design problems and solutions, said Nichols. It could jump start creativity in many sectors.
“Design is the solution for our region. Economic success will be built on value-added industries. But these require design talent coming from creative people, like architects and other design professionals,” said Nichols.
For example, in Scandinavia, the aspect of design is taken very seriously in many different industries, said Nichols.
“We all know the example of IKEA, the global furniture giant. We have the trees here in the north just like the Swedes. Let's use them to design better furniture instead of just exporting 2-by-4s (lumber),” he said.
The emphasis on the design profession could be expanded to developing a school of industrial design, said Laurentian University economics professor Dave Robinson, a founding member of the community committee looking into the architecture school's feasibility.
“This school of architecture is the fastest way to anchor a host of other things. Once you have a collection of high level design people here, then it is a lot easier to make the case for an international school of industrial design. For me that's one of the highest priorities for the region,” said Robinson.
A school of architecture, based in the downtown, will be contributing
an obvious boost to the city's core, he said.
“Imagine about 50 blocks downtown increasing in land value by 10 percent. It would also give the city $9 million in revenue,” said Robinson.
There would be approximately 420 new students to be housed near the downtown location.
“That means the whole new business cluster that has been developing downtown — restaurants, pubs, shops, cinemas — would benefit,” said Maureen Luoma, executive director of Downtown Sudbury.
“We need more people, like students, to live downtown. Years ago when Downtown Sudbury talked about getting more student housing in the core we had no grocery store, we had no cinema. Now we do,” said Luoma.
If funding goes well, construction for the school of architecture could begin in 2009, said Nichols.
