Laurentian University's proposed school of architecture has received approval from the province to move forward, as well as $21 million in funding to help get it off the ground.
The bilingual school will be the first new school of architecture to be established in Ontario in 40 years, and will be located in downtown Sudbury with room to house 400 students. In addition, 300 jobs are expected to be created through the construction and operating phases.
“From the beginning, the school of architecture at Laurentian University has been conceptualized as a true reflection of the unique culture and environment of northern Ontario,” Laurentian president Dominic Giroux said in a news release. “The school will assist in meeting the demand for highly skilled professionals in the coming decades. In turn the students will develop the expertise to help solve local and global design and urban issues.”
The school is scheduled to launch in 2013, with a full enrolment of students anticipated by 2018.
Planning for the school began in 2007, and the City of Greater Sudbury has already pledged $10 million to help the school come to fruition.
It will be the first school of architecture to offer programs in French outside of Quebec, and will additionally promote Aboriginal and Northern perspectives in design.
The construction will aim to set a precedent for green building practices in the region, designed to the highest level of sustainability and help students learn the latest concepts in green building design and sustainable development.
Mayor Marianne Matichuk said the school will go a long way to helping revitalize the city's downtown core.
“Having the school of architecture in Sudbury enables our community to continue to diversify and grow while creating new opportunities to ignite a culture of creativity and design in the region,” she said in the release.
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