Other News

Architect and VABE Coordinator, Jason Grossi’s new work, the Sandwich Brewing Company, opens

The work is an adaptive reuse of a grouping of older historic constructs into a new microbrewery, which took over 3 years to complete. The work includes extensive forensic and historical research before being able to craft a contemporary architectural piece utilizing many historic construction techniques and methods. This is the first new construction in Old Sandwich Towne under the Heritage District Guidelines in the city of Windsor. Much of Jason’s analysis and methods for this work have been adopted by the city in their guidelines for other heritage projects requiring contemporary inserted pieces. Read more...

School of Creative Arts to Bring New Energy to City Core

It was a near impossible task. Take a building with an outwardly fortified appearance and transform it into a welcoming space that inspires learning.

It was the challenge assigned by the University of Windsor to CS&P Architects’ Craig Goodman and his team: overhaul Windsor’s downtown Armouries into the new School of Creative Arts.

“The original building is a classic heavy, late-19th-century Romanesque structure which evokes a really solid presence in the city,” Goodman said, a principal architect with CS&P. “Now walking by on the sidewalk, you’ll be able to look inside and see big, lofty studio spaces teeming with activity and it’ll be really inviting.”

Program provides good foundation for architectural studies, says graduand

Krysia Bussiere didn’t have to wait until she graduated for her education in the Visual Arts and the Built Environment program to land her a job. She has a summer position in Toronto working with B+H Architects, the design firm behind the Centre for Engineering Innovation. When she crosses the stage at Thursday’s Convocation, Bussiere will be among the first class to graduate from the program. She says it has given her a good foundation to build on.

UWindsor reveals vision for downtown campus

Preliminary renderings of the University of Windsor’s downtown campus were revealed by president Alan Wildeman during a media conference Wednesday, April 17, in the Windsor Armouries. “The University of Windsor is creating new spaces where our students, faculty and staff can be engaged in innovative teaching, learning and discovery, and where they can more effectively partner with the arts community and social agencies to make a difference,” Dr. Wildeman said.

Chance to mix art and architecture big draw for VABE students

To Chris Zahaluk, architecture is a pure art form that goes far beyond the pragmatic functionality of designing useful buildings. “Every time I do a project, (visual art) is the first thing I turn to as a source of inspiration,” said Zahaluk, a third year student in Visual Arts and the Built Environment (VABE) and a member of that program’s charter class. “That’s how I integrate creativity into my work. You design spaces for the people who are going to be using them, but it’s not just a building. It’s a whole lot more than that.”