Graduate of the VABE program, Jack Lavigne, at the University of Windsor School of Creative Arts. (MIKE WILKINS/The University of Windsor)
By Lindsay Charlton
WINDSOR, Ont. — From a young age, Jack Lavigne was drawn to the spaces that shape our world.
Tagging along on visits to project sites, he saw how blueprints turned into buildings, taking shape as places people live in and move through every day.
Lavigne, a graduate of the Visual Arts and Built Environment (VABE) program at the University of Windsor, particularly remembers going to the site of a library in Ann Arbor designed by his father, also an architect.
“Seeing it built, with this beautiful window looking out onto the forest — it was incredible,” said Lavigne.
“The columns along the windows were made from ash trees taken from the site. They’d been infested with beetles that carved these intricate patterns, but they still used the damaged trees to create this amazing architectural feature.
“Just seeing those details and the whole project come to life was fantastic."
Lavigne’s interests are rooted in world-building and storytelling. What started as playing video games helped launch his career.
“I used to go to my father's office, log on to Minecraft, pretend that I'm working on projects with them, building whatever I could,” he explained. “Games like that open up a space to be creative and build, making it easy to create pretty much anything you’re interested in.”
Graduate of the VABE program, Jack Lavigne, at the University of Windsor School of Creative Arts. (MIKE WILKINS/The University of Windsor)
From childhood inspiration to future discovery
With this in mind, when it was time to start thinking about university, Lavigne hoped to set himself on a path toward video game development and design, gravitating toward computer science until he came across the VABE program.
“I thought it was such a fantastic balance and would offer a wide experience," said Lavigne. “It seemed like there would be so many avenues if I did this program, and I still think that’s true after finishing it.”
VABE is a unique program that brings together students and faculty from the University of Windsor’s School of Creative Arts and Detroit Mercy’s School of Architecture to explore the built environment through the lens of both art and architecture, considering everything from aesthetics and creativity to culture, construction, meaning and history.
“Another thing that drew me to the program was that I was part of the first group of students to work out of the new SoCA building in the Armouries. Getting access to a brand-new woodshop, studio space, all of that was really exciting,” he said
“I didn’t have much of an artistic background, so it was cool to be in classes with art majors. We worked on projects that weren’t just about drawing or building architectural models, but also more open-ended, creative art pieces.”
That mix of structure and creativity laid the groundwork for the kind of projects Lavigne would go on to explore.
During his time in the program, Lavigne travelled to Sydney, Australia, for a co-op opportunity with architectural firm Woods Bagoti. He said he worked primarily on a competition for a skyscraper, which he described as “super intimidating” as it was a new scale of experience for him but also motivating in a way that stuck with him.
“Architecture is everywhere, and gaining this experience has enabled me to do things at home and across the world,” he said.
Crossing borders: education and experience
Jason Grossi, program coordinator and associate professor who teaches architecture and visual arts at SoCA, says the program’s global exposure sets it apart.
“Due to our location in Windsor, the most southern part of Canada, and right across the water from Detroit, we have leveraged our international border so students who are admitted into the VABE program become international students, not just studying at two institutions, but studying in two countries at the same time,” he noted.
Jointly administered by both institutions, the program has students begin their studies in both cities from day one.
“There is no visual arts or architecture program, as far as we know, like Visual Arts in the Built Environment that leverages the international border through academic study,” Grossi explained.
“Students have to navigate two institutions and two countries, which gives them a broader perspective on architecture as a global profession. This international dimension shapes their understanding right from the start.”
Grossi also highlights the program’s unique emphasis on visual arts.
“Students graduate with two degrees — one in visual arts from UWindsor and one in architecture from Detroit Mercy — which helps them develop a strong foundation in both creative and technical skills.
“Visual arts and architecture have been joined at the hip for thousands of years. What’s great about offering visual arts as both a degree and a lens into architecture is that it helps build those analog skills — being able to articulate ideas through sketching, sculpture, or drawing. We’re developing those tools alongside digital technologies,” he said.
With this mix of skills, Grossi said there are various directions the students can and do take.
“They always surprise you in terms of what they do, when they come back after two or three years and say, ‘Oh, I’m a licensed architect, or I’m working in illustration or animation.’ Sometimes you don’t anticipate the answer, and I think that’s really enjoyable,” he said.
Graduate of the VABE program, Jack Lavigne, at the University of Windsor School of Creative Arts. (MIKE WILKINS/The University of Windsor)
Designing for impact
As for Lavigne, he decided to continue his studies at Detroit Mercy to complete his Master of Architecture.
During that time, he worked on several projects that, he said, truly reflect his inspiration, the chance to positively impact communities and elevate the quality of the spaces people inhabit.
One of those projects was the chance to submit a redesign for an iconic Windsor landmark — the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain.
Windsor city council voted in 2022 to replace the fountain, noting it had reached the end of its lifespan after nearly 45 years of floating each spring and summer in the Detroit River between Reaume Park and Coventry Gardens.
Seeing a chance to leave his mark on his hometown, Lavigne submitted a concept design to Toronto architectural firm Partisans tasked with developing the new fountain. He was then hired to lead that concept.
“I grew up near Reaume Park, I wanted to not only contribute my architectural skills to a project but to also bring value back to my own community,” he said.
Lavigne’s innovative design was one of three selected for council to vote on. Inspired by the border, he created an arch design symbolizing the economic and cultural relationship with Detroit.
Envisioning a new landmark, the concept boasted a 98-metre-long, 14-metre-tall steel arch spanning above the bay at Reaume Park with a design that could stay in the river throughout the winter. It housed 85 nozzles above the water, designed for 360 degrees of water flow with a throw of up to 15 metres and lighting attached.
While the city ended up going in a different direction for the new fountain, Lavigne notes that the opportunity and experience were memorable.
“It was really rewarding to get to work on a concept that could contribute to a project rooted in Windsor’s history,” he said.
That feeling of nostalgia continues to inspire his design style, he said. It’s a theme woven through many of his projects.
In what he referred to as one of his favourite locations, he focused his thesis on Manitoulin Island, where his mother’s family is from. Drawing from the influences of Eastern Canadian architecture, utilizing simple and raw materials, Lavigne designed a long nature trail connecting two entry points to the island, featuring different pavilions.
“The overarching idea was connection. Balancing two different groups of people on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, and also an emerging group, tourism, and creating a really impactful and connected tourism experience that brings all three areas together,” he explained.
That design earned Lavigne two awards from the Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (MiASLA), as well as the first-ever student American Institute of Architects (AIA) Detroit award, a professional honour that recognizes meaningful, standout work that sparks inspiration.
“My dad actually won an AIA award for his work at the same time as well,” Lavigne shared. “Winning was very unexpected and super exciting because the thesis was stressful, and I’m very happy it turned out the way it did.”
Building on that recognition, Lavigne has taken his experience into a role with urban planning practice based in Chicago, Illinois, Houseal Lavigne, where he is able to blend both his architectural experience and his interest in video games and worldbuilding by designing “digital twins” of cities around the world.
“We recently did one in St. Louis. Cities hire us to create experiences using a video game engine called Unreal Engine, allowing people to ‘play’ through proposed developments and see how they’ll look,” he explained. “It’s exciting because it’s so controllable — you can change parameters, buildings, details, everything.”
Now, designing virtual cities that could help shape real ones, Lavigne is still driven by the same goal that first sparked his interest — creating spaces, whether real or imagined, that bring people together and tell stories.
“What drives me is the chance to create lasting spaces that matter. There’s something special about seeing people interact with spaces you helped create, it’s rewarding to think about that legacy.”