There will be work for roughly 100 local labourers and tradespeople when construction begins on phase two of the Laurentian School of Architecture building this March.
Laurentian announced Bondfield Construction of Concord has been awarded the $23.9-million contract for the project. Construction of the 55,000-square-foot building is expected to take 18 months and will begin with the preparation of the foundation at the corner of Elm and Elgin streets in downtown Sudbury.
Designed by LGA Architectural Partners, the School of Architecture will be a unique building comprising two distinct and contrasting wings. The North Wing, fronting on Elm Street, will be a steel-framed structure containing mezzanines above the second floor. The West Wing will be a two-storey glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) wood structure, and will be the first large-scale use of CLT in a public building in Ontario. The two new wings will house classrooms and studio space, a lecture theatre, lounges and office areas, while creating an inner courtyard and a public walkway.
The first phase of construction consisted of renovating the two heritage buildings that currently provide faculty and studio space for the Laurentian Architecture program, which officially launched in September, 2013.
“It is an exceptional and innovative design and we believe the final result will be an exciting, visually stunning addition to the cityscape,” Laurentian Architecture’s founding director, Dr. Terrence Galvin, said in a release. “The whole community is going to see this beautiful structure taking shape over the months to come, and I think it’s going to be thrilling to watch this dynamic process.”
Bondfield Construction is a family-owned Canadian construction company with broad experience in public infrastructure projects, and is a leader in LEED and green energy construction. Among many other public buildings across the province, Bondfield Construction’s portfolio includes the Queen’s School of Business, Kingston; the University of Guelph Engineering Complex; the University of Waterloo Science Building; Global Innovation Exchange, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo; Georgian College Health and Wellness Centre in Barrie; Bishop Strachan School in Toronto; the Barrie Public Library, and the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.
