The McEwen School of Architecture officially started its Bachelor of Architectural Studies program in September of 2013. Five years later, the School, the only one of its kind in Northern Ontario (and the first in Canada outside Quebec to offer design studio courses in French), is looking to develop new strategic initiatives to consolidate its leading position as an architecture school of “the north” within a global framework.
According to David Fortin, Director of the McEwen School of Architecture, significant progress has been made in realizing the School’s vision.
“We will maintain our focus on northern communities through promoting place-based, community-driven, and regenerative design principles. Yet as our first M.Arch class graduates in 2019, we are also taking the next steps to establish the school as one of the premier destinations to study architecture in North America.”
To assist the McEwen School of Architecture in its ambitions, 16 visionary leaders have been approached to constitute the School’s International Advisory Board. They met for the first time on November 27, where new directions for the School were discussed to strengthen its unique curriculum, including strategic investments and student retention and recruitment.
“Designing a new school without the burdens of the academic past means that the challenges that face us as a society today and tomorrow can be met head-on,” explains Jason F. McLennan, Board member and CEO of McLennan Design, and Founder of the Living Building Challenge.
“In the turbulent age of the Anthropocene, it is critical that we teach a deep understanding of place, culture, sustainability and a new way of living in the world. The McEwen School of Architecture promises to train and shape a new generation of designers capable of dealing with climate change and a host of future challenges. Sudbury may well become the epicentre of transformative, regenerative design thinking,” he adds.
The advisory board, chaired by the School’s Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin, will gather biannually to share high-level strategic advice relating to the long-term goals and success of the School, as well as to foster closer ties between the School, the architectural industry and international partners. In order to discuss design, environment, accessibility, and global narratives regarding cold climate places, the board constitutes a wide range of creative individuals who have made significant contributions to making the world a more creative and inclusive place.