Architecture - Master's Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://laurentian.scholaris.ca/handle/10219/3249

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Stepping lightly: a rural site approach for habitat restoration
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2022-04-07) Bugaliski, Emmalyn; Mark Baechler
In light of the global decline of biodiversity, this thesis seeks to address local issues threatening species which could lead to greater positive global impact. The local issues experienced within the Lake Erie-Lake Ontario Ecoregion, located in Southwestern Ontario, reveal habitat loss as the key threat to biodiversity. The majority of habitat was lost as a result of deforestation caused by the logging industry and the clearing of the landscape for agricultural use. Forests were once all- encompassing entities covering Southwestern Ontario, today they sit at the margins of agricultural space. To address habitat loss, this thesis argues a design approach to connect the existing fragmented habitat is required. These connections are established through ecocorridors, natural spaces which link existing habitats. A specific site in the rural land to the west of London, Ontario is selected to develop a strategy for reforesting. A site approach developed from the natural forest succession of deciduous forests is established to guide the growth of corridors and architectural interventions. A forest center as well as a number of small-scale interventions seek to support the programmatic needs of reforesting while also integrating themselves into the forest, acting as supports for the wildlife. This thesis seeks to develop a site strategy supported by an architectural intervention which connects fragmented habitat and discovers new strategies to support wildlife habitation with architecture.
Architectures of care: design responses to support unhoused neighbours in Toronto, Ontario
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2024-04-12) Hrycusko, Andrew; Aliki Economides
Houselessness is an increasingly critical issue across Canada, affecting over 235,000 people annually. While the COVID-19 pandemic certainly exacerbated the crisis, the underlying shortcomings of the social safety net have resulted in many community members falling through the cracks. A stark example is the city of Toronto, where over 7,000 people go unhoused nightly, with more than 700 of them forced to sleep on the street. The current sociopolitical system criminalizes poverty and treats unhoused neighbours with hostility, often culminating in violent evictions from public spaces. This thesis argues for a paradigm shift towards a culture of care that centres a Housing First approach to transitional housing and social reintegration. Focusing on the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood, this proposal for a mixed-use supportive housing development offers phased housing supports and social services as a test case for a design framework of care ethics that could be applied to other urban sites.
Catification: exploring shelter design to improve the quality of life of cats
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2024-08-28) Lapierre-Grignon, Taylor; Anima Lalor
In Canada, twice as many cats are admitted to shelters compared to dogs. Cats are domesticated companion animals that when left outside experience a reduction in lifespan and quality of life. Free-roaming cats are also considered an invasive species and cause great damage to natural ecosystems. Shelters therefore provide important infrastructure for managing both cat wellbeing and overpopulation, yet are routinely over capacity with insufficient funding. This design proposal aims to envision a shelter for Sudbury, Ontario that prioritizes the wellbeing of both cats and local ecosystems by combining the programs of shelter, cat cafe, educational space, and veterinary practice. Informed by primary research of local shelters, the resulting centre creates a safe environment that prioritizes the diverse needs of shelter cats, increases capacity to address overpopulation and cat health, promotes education around cat care and environmental impacts, and provides a revenue-generating community-oriented space that serves both humans and cats.
The right to housing and well-being: social connectedness as a means to develop quality, publicly-funded housing for the sandwich class
(Laurentian University Library & Archives, 2024-04-12) Polito, , Alex Emelio; Jean-Philippe Saucier
Nationally and internationally, legislation defines housing as a human right to ensure dignity and well- being. However, with increasing costs of housing in Canada, it is instead treated as a speculative commodity. In cities like Vancouver, this means the sandwich class (too wealthy for social assistance but too impoverished for market housing) has no decent option. A new model (Income Accessible Housing) is thus proposed in order to decommodify housing and promote health and well-being so new multi-residential buildings do not repeat the errors of 20th century mass production of cheap residential units. More specifically, the focus is on social connectedness, which is paramount to social and mental health, but is too often overlooked. This model involves government investment and non-profit cooperatives to develop quality publicly-funded housing for the sandwich class, increasing the availability of housing and incorporating the attributes of ‘good’ housing to foster a healthy and desirable living environment.
Flexible building system in Northern Ontario: flexing for an uncertain future in Blind River
(2024-04-10) Smith, Jessica Lorra Quinn
This thesis explores the concept of a new flexible architectural system as a solution to the challenges faced by northern Ontario communities, specifically Blind River. Traditional single-use buildings lack adaptability, leading to excessive demolitions or costly renovations when programs change, resulting in the loss of a cohesive architectural fabric. The region’s historical context and economic struggles are explored to understand the need for a more sustainable and efficient construction approach. Traditional building practices, and various design theories including adaptable architecture, modular design, and design for disassembly, are considered in the creation of a new flexible architectural system. The proposed flexible system prioritizes structure over finishing, utilizing locally manufactured materials to create a building that allows for programmatic changes within a fixed facade. The system aims to shape a flexible built environment in northern Ontario, addressing demographic fluctuation, cost of construction and waste.
Resuscitating rural health clinics: building adaptation for rural health hubs in Northern Ontario
(2024-04-10) Tyler, Sarah
In rural and northern communities, health care clinics face resource limitations that often result in them adapting existing buildings to suit a medical program. Health clinics that are placed in repurposed commercial buildings are frequently inadequate to their accessibility, professional, or community needs. In 2015, the Ontario Hospital Association developed a Rural Health Hubs Framework for Ontario that provides a guide for increasing access to healthcare in rural areas through detailing the services and integration that should be present in a health centre hub. It does not, however, address their architectural requirements. This thesis examines the intersection of rural health and building adaptations through design principles. A replicable model of rural health hub design is developed that addresses spatial programs to support the purpose of providing an integrated local healthcare centre. The principles are demonstrated in Elliot Lake, Ontario, in the design of an adaptive reuse rural health hub.
Design/build and a van: an alternative (outlaw) practice
(2024-04-11) Vanderkruk, Thomas Mateus Schalkwijk
The relationship between craft and architecture is intrinsic but not always in balance. This work encapsulates the struggle to understand the disparate parts of designing and building and my relationship to the built environment as an intern architect. This thesis focuses on testing a design/build methodology for the purpose of converting a 1994 GMC van into my own future mobile studio, workshop, and home. Employing methods of certainty and risk as a base approach to making, I try to tap into my inner maker, recognizing that by no means am I a skilled craftsman or seasoned builder. The methodology used further includes research into the history of craft in architecture and the practical application of design/build using new and repurposed materials. The thesis explores the practice of design/build, what it means to participate in this form of designing and making, its benefits, and how small-scale design/builds can cause large-scale change.
Recultivating identity: an agri-urban toolkit for Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario
(2024-04-12) Ucat, Carlos Miguel Sobrado
This thesis explores an identity-based urban/ architectural/economic design Agri-Urban Toolkit to mitigate the phenomenon of urban sprawl. Like many growing communities in Ontario, Bradford West Gwillimbury (BWG) is at the crossroads of urban development. The effects of urban sprawl have transformed many communities into bedroom and commuter towns. These placeless places have lost their identity and place memory. This thesis uncovers BWG’s historical roots and leverages this understanding to recultivate the town’s identity. It utilizes an applicable set of place- based design strategies, or toolkit, to plant the seeds for economic densification and create opportunities for sustained community growth. It contributes to the broader discourse of sustainable urban development by building upon previous methods of sprawl mitigation. This thesis provides a new perspective through agriculture-based urban/architectural economic densification and establishes an inclusive and thriving community.
Obsolescence to opportunity: transforming abandoned infrastructure in Scarborough
(2024-04-09) Xie, Daomin
Line 3 was the light rail transit line that had once served the community of Scarborough, Ontario. The obsolescence of Line 3 arose from authoritative negligence placing unnecessary strain on a struggling community that is largely composed of recent immigrants. The narrative unfolds from the line’s ambitious inception in the 1980s as a high-tech transportation experiment to its recent closure in 2023. However, we can learn from history, as obsolescence also presents an opportunity for impactful change. This thesis proposes adaptive reuse strategies as a more culturally and environmentally sustainable practice for the Line’s disused transit stations and track infrastructure. These initiatives aim to promote address food insecurity, provide educational opportunities, and promote cultural exchange, fostering community resilience and cohesion. It seeks to create vibrant, inclusive spaces that enhance the quality of life for residents of Scarborough, both in the present and the years to come.
Natures of natures: integrating ecologies in North Bay
(2024-04-11) Smith, Hannah
Ideas of dynamic nature have been pushed to the edges of our cultural spheres. We refrain from seeing ourselves as part of nature, and have placed ourselves above and apart from broader ecological systems. These ideas are reinforced in rectilinear organizations applied despite existing conditions, and amongst our values for ownership of private property as a distinction of the individual. Amongst these values, domestic spheres have been isolated from broader natural and social ecologies, aestheticizing the role of women amongst the housing commodity. Ecological thinking expanding contexts and ideas of the domestic objects with values for relations amongst a broader range of scales. This project explores ideas of nature that have formed the way we organize land and the domestic sphere, and proposes an alternative model for dynamic integrations of social and natural ecologies.
Reframing the architectural narrative of filmmaking
(2024-04-13) Stephan, Emily Alexandra
Film is a visual form of storytelling that relies on spatial settings to convey narratives. At the same time, film production also depends on carefully designed architecture environments. This thesis explores the opportunity to enhance the struggling fisheries-based economy of St. John’s, Newfoundland by augmenting the city’s unrealised potential to possess a film studio in Atlantic Canada. Through the design of a mixed-use film studio facility the design includes accommodations for film crew and staff, public indoor and outdoor film viewing spaces, a material reuse centre, and spaces for a mentorship program. Located within the historic downtown core that relies substantially on the adaptive reuse of vacant spaces. This design proposal seeks to celebrate the history and built environment of St. John’s while boosting the local economy and supporting the community.
Reclaiming birth territory in Northern Ontario: a place-based approach to realizing maternal health architecture
(2024-04-08) Wilson, Grace Evelyn Tessa
The precipitous decline in local healthcare has entrenched the singular dimension of centralized, institutional birth settings, limiting the provision of choice and equitable maternal healthcare in Northern Ontario. Emerging as a response to this critical reflection is the resurgence of midwifery-led care, prompting exploration of architecture’s role in supporting maternal health in Northern Ontario. This thesis expands beyond the individual birthroom experience and engages the spatialization of the maternal continuum of care and sustainable midwifery pedagogy through regional sensibilities. Its intersection envisions the architectural framework for maternal health not merely as a physical place, but as a locale imbued with profound meaning and value, crafted with responsive, diverse, and meaningful architecture to empower mothers and midwives. Advocating for reconceptualizing Birth Centre design, this thesis offers an architectural framework towards reclaiming Northern Ontario’s Birth Territory and acts as an enduring catalyst for agency, dignity, and choice for mothers and their families.
A community-centric proposal for affordable housing in South Parkdale, Toronto
(2024-04-09) Mojarrab, Andrew Yousef
Neoliberal commodification has undermined the consideration of housing as a basic human right while also contributing greatly to the current housing crisis in Canada. To meaningfully address the lack of affordable housing nationwide, this thesis focuses on the challenges and opportunities in Toronto, the country’s largest city, where housing is increasingly inaccessible to many. Drawing on literature from the disciplines of architecture, urban planning, sociology, and economics, this thesis analyzes multiple housing strategies, identifying opportunities within them to propose a place-based hybrid model. When deployed, long-term affordability can be achieved while strengthening community cohesion and identity. Ultimately, this thesis puts forth a set of design objectives and an economic implementation plan for a place-based mixed- use development that provides affordable housing and amenities in the culturally and socioeconomically diverse neighbourhood of South Parkdale in Toronto, Canada.
Habitats in harmony: nurturing biodiversity in Sudbury, Ontario, through wetland restoration and community education
(2024-04-12) Regier, Nathan
Human land practices continue to pose existential threats across global ecosystems. As a result, designers must learn to redefine the methodologies of the human-built environment, prioritizing human well-being with ecological productivity. This Thesis delves into strategies for biodiversity enhancement and ecological recovery through architecture, drawing from diverse research methodologies in relation to wetland ecosystems in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. By proposing a mixed-use research and community center in Robinson Marsh, this Thesis aims to demonstrate how ecologically sensitive architecture can be integrated within wetland environments, thus nurturing biodiversity and improving the community’s relationship with its natural ecology. Through Nature-based Solutions such as circular urban farming, wetland restoration, and ecologically-productive urban green spaces, this Thesis strives to accomplish multispecies coexistence, harmonizing the human community as part of its surrounding ecosystem.
The professional hockey arena in the city: an exploration into the symbiotic relationship between a major event centre and the urban fabric
(2024-04-10) Rowsell, Jakob
Hockey is more than just a game in Canada; it’s a true passion that unites millions nationwide. Communities of like-minded people form into fanbases, supporting ‘their’ team. Often, these fans view their team’s home stadium or arena as hallowed grounds. Treating them as sacred spaces for their community to come together to pronounce their love for their team and the game of hockey. However, unlike many religious spaces, the arena is only open to the public for select amounts of time. Comparatively, the arena is closed to the public far less than it is available, creating a unique condition within its urban context. Through the arena’s morphology, the facility’s scale has enlarged to multiple city blocks (800,000 - 1,000,000 square feet) to provide the services required to hold over 17,000 spectators. Additionally, the arena topology is an “inward- facing architecture” looking away from the street, not emphasizing creating a daily relationship with its urban context. This thesis looks to challenge this notion and better understand ways to integrate the arena into the daily urban environment. The research will use frameworks that define a successful professional hockey arena: the history of professional hockey, the socio-cultural impacts of hockey in Canada, architectural history, and economics. While also looking at concepts to better integrate the arena in its urban context from symbiosis, community engagement, and street-level architecture. These frameworks will then be synthesized into a new professional arena proposal in Ottawa, Ontario. Ultimately, the question guiding the research is: how can a National Hockey League (NHL) arena have a symbiotic relationship with its urban context in the downtown core of Ottawa?
A walkable town: adapting for Parry Sound's future through active living revitalization
(2024-04-11) Neilson, Jenna
Ontario’s development practices need change. The current housing crisis in Canada has created a rapid need for development. Parry Sound, a small northern Ontario town, has been impacted by this. With its current low-density development and car-centric streets, the town needs housing and transit solutions. Parry Sound wants to grow but currently lacks a thriving town center to retain and draw in residents. Implementing walkable interventions can make Parry Sound more resilient and help meet its needs for future growth. Adapting the town’s current development can create a day-to-day life that allows residents to thrive in their neighbourhoods. Key pieces of this transformation are a new transit system, redesigned streets throughout the town, and the design of an Active Living Waterfront development. Walkable neighbourhoods ultimately consist of three key components: dense mixed-use development, active transit, and pedestrian-first design. This thesis proposes walkable urban design guidelines to revitalize Parry Sound’s development.
Cultivating resilience: architecture and urban design for a local and circular food system in Sudbury, Ontario
(2024-04-11) Sirois, Michael
The escalation of climate change threatens global food security and worsens pre-existing inequities in diets, particularly for vulnerable communities. Viewed primarily as a commodity, food is problematically shaped by unsustainable practices from production to consumption that perpetuate negative environmental, social, and health outcomes. Focusing on the northern Canadian city of Sudbury, Ontario, this thesis explores how architecture and urban design can cultivate resilience, address poverty, and stimulate economic growth by supporting local and circular food systems. Drawing on extensive research from non-governmental organizations, precedent studies, and interviews with local non-profits, a framework geared at shifting mindsets is proposed both to challenge existing preconceptions and practices of food production, and to guide food security-focused design interventions. The proposed mixed-use food network hub connects existing local initiatives and infrastructure with new urban food production and skill-based training facilities in downtown Sudbury to improve access to healthy food while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Youth-centric city: school-oriented transportation planning informed by play-based and child-friendly design in mid-sized cities
(2024-04-11) Smith, Brooke
Car-centric North-American cities focus on workforce and resource mobility, which led to the decline of youth’s independent mobility as safety concerns grow for children in this hostile environment. Unfortunately, in mid-size cities, public transit is inefficient, which subjects children to car dependency from a young age. Transportation habits are thus environmentally unsustainable, harmful to physical health, as well as detrimental to the well-being and cognitive development of teens. Leveraging research on child-friendly planning and play-based design, this thesis argues that a novel approach to transportation and urban planning is required to support the healthy development of teens, increase their mobility, and as such develop good transportation literacy and habits that can stop the cycle of car dependency. This thesis thus proposes to extend Sudbury’s (Ontario) public transit through a school- oriented system that connects youth areas of interest and adds playful hubs to cater to the young population, too often overlooked.
Architecture without barriers: creating thoughtful connections within the built environment
(2024-04-11) Pratt Tremblay, Michaela
This thesis advocates for a fundamental shift in how accessibility is approached in architecture, emphasizing its importance in creating functional, safe, and inclusive spaces. It challenges the notion that accessibility is a peripheral consideration and advocates for it to be integral to architectural design from the outset. The current regulations are criticized for providing insufficient solutions that fail to create truly welcoming and accessible environments. This thesis calls for the adoption of universal design principles from various organizations, aiming to create a more universally accessible environment. The proposed solution is a universally accessible learning centre located in Ottawa which serves as a model for thoughtful design, providing a space where people can gather, learn about aging in place, and live temporarily. This thesis project aims to create a built environment that fosters thoughtful connections and enhances the quality of life for all individuals, regardless of age, size, ability, or disability.
Fighting the housing crisis in small Ontario communities through medium-density housing
(2024-04-10) Shore, Liam
The population boom and the housing crisis brought on by the present housing market and housing demand are some of the major problems small communities in Southwestern Ontario are facing. In the past, the real estate market in Southwestern Ontario’s small towns has been centered around two extremes. One example of these extremes is the single-detached home, which still rules the Ontario real estate market and is frequently out of reach for the typical citizen. There is also the supportive housing market, where people can get help from their local government to succeed in daily living. The next concern is how architecture might help address the developing housing crisis and give the expanding population access to affordable and achievable housing in small towns. This is accomplished by offering a medium- density housing option that small towns can modify to give residents access to housing in a socially connected neighbourhood.

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