Supporting the Northern Ontario Equestrian Community: Re-Imagining the Sudbury Downs Raceway
Date
2024-05-17
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Abstract
This thesis explores how identified architectural & non-architectural challenges in the Northern Ontario Equestrian Community can be addressed through a design proposal at the Sudbury Downs Raceway. The relationships identified by contextualizing shifts in past to present horse/ human relationships include the constant capacity for change in the equine sector. This has broad architectural implications for equine spaces that don’t always adequately center both equine and human wellness. By engaging in interviews with members of the equestrian community, this thesis assesses specific challenges and opportunities, including: access, affordability, design standards, and existing infrastructure. Thematic analysis findings from the interviews informs the scope of the design proposal. Reviving the Sudbury Downs Raceway as an equestrian horse park aims to provide a central hub for the local equestrian community, including nearby townships within Northern Ontario, while providing space for the broader Sudbury population through shared programming.