Reformulating underused facilities through adaptive reuse: making and remaking the architecture of Copper Cliff, Ontario
Date
2021-04-16
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Abstract
Industries have a history of shaping the development and heritage of communities.
In the case of Copper Cliff, the mining industry has influenced the architecture and culture
of the community. However, these mining operations no longer operate how they were
created. The community of Copper Cliff has transitioned from a miners’ town into an extension
of Greater Sudbury. This area encompasses a wide range of professionals that live and
work across the city. The constant pursuit of a sustainable future has informed this evolution.
Technology has permitted people to work from a distance, which has become a reality for
many industries more recently with the pandemic. The industrial vision within Copper Cliff
is to reduce the environmental impact, and to become world leaders in this sector. There
are areas within this industry that have negatively impacted the land. Key issues that are
relevant today are the waste management and water reclamation processes. A place for
further research and development would benefit both the industry and this community. The philosophy of tearing down underused facilities within industrial areas is
still a major problem. To sustain a viable plan for growth and to maintain the existing
community and surrounding areas it is essential to consider adaptive reuse. By analyzing
the culture, mining industry and the architecture within Copper Cliff, the design proposal
will provide a balance of these components. This community’s unique making and
remaking principles are represented within the following three elements. The architecture
undergoes a new life through adaptive reuse principles. The culture emphasizes the
arts and crafts of this built community and the reuse of materials and waste for a new
purpose. The industry is represented by their long history of mining in this area, and their
constant need to improve and remake these mining processes to increase sustainability.
The purpose for this thesis document is to explore the methods and strategies of reusing facilities
that are underused and proposing a new function for them before they become obsolete.
This will provide the community with more options for the future and prevent the industry from
demolishing and removing all community input. This project will consider the rich history of
the community, and how this heritage can be represented through adaptive reuse. This will
bring the architecture, mining, and culture together at the center of this design proposal.
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Keywords
Adaptive reuse, culture, architecture, industry, restoration and development