Ted Wilson is passionate about architecture, with no lack of inspiration to draw from in recent days.
On Jan. 30, the Sudbury-based architect and master lecturer was named the Ontario Association of Architects’ new president.
Sudbury.com caught up with him at Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture for insight on his new role and what he hopes to achieve.
Wilson said he’ll strive to share Greater Sudbury stories provincially and Ontario stories nationally.
The “transformative” changes taking place in downtown Sudbury and with affordable housing in the community more than qualify as some of these national stories, he said.
These downtown projects include the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square library/art gallery project within the existing city hall building, and a new arena/events centre.
When it comes to the library/art gallery building, he said the shuffling of existing municipal operations to accommodate the building’s proposed new purposes is “brilliant,” and that Teeple Architects’ work thus far has been “a refreshing thing to see.”
The character they’re adding with a ramp facing Paris Street and the building’s exterior appearance from the east are early highlights of their plan.
“We have a lot of confidence in that, which is great,” he said.
With city council freeing up a swath of downtown land, he said the arena/events centre offers a blank slate for architects to work with.
“We had a great discussion before Christmas on the Downtown Master Plan update ... and we had a lot of conversation, a lot of good ideas,” he said of local architects and city staff, adding that School of Architecture staff are in regular contact with city staff to help provide advice.
“It’s always good for a group of charged, creative people to brainstorm like that.”
Among the suggestions to come out of School of Architecture students for the arena/events centre is local intern architect Michael Sirois’s recommendation that the city include hydroponic greenhouses on the arena’s roof.
Unique architectural design has also proven able to help overcome challenges, such as Greater Sudbury’s significant shortfall in affordable housing, Wilson said.
The affordable housing complex under construction next to the water tower on Paris Street is an example, Wilson said, noting that its mass timber design is able to go up quickly and affordably.
When it comes to local affordable housing, he said it’s “probably one of the best examples.”
Many of the building’s elements are currently sitting at an Element5 Mass Timber Manufacturer warehouse in St. Thomas, and will go up quickly when they arrive at the job site in the coming weeks, he said. Since builders don’t have to wait for things like concrete to cure there are no seasonal issues associated with the build’s timing.
Other good news stories from throughout the balance of Ontario include such companies as Hamilton-based Indwell, which finds architectural solutions to house the homeless, Wilson said.
With communities across the country grappling with the need to construct more housing, Wilson described these are interesting times for architects.
“There needs to be more of us, not just in architecture, but in engineering and all the allied professions and disciplines, including the trades — a very, very important part of the chain,” he said.
The McEwen School of Architecture currently has approximately 350 students throughout its six years of programming, but he said relaying to people the opportunities that come with architecture remains important since not everyone considers it as a career choice.
Wilson learned about architecture as a child through a friend’s father, and was solidified when he visited Expo 67 in Montreal and saw examples of global architecture in one place.
“Whether you go into engineering or architecture, at the end of the day, if you’re involved with the building you’re going to get a hand in it with regards to creativity,” he said.
Wilson is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and has worked at the McEwen School of Architecture for 11 years.
The Ontario Association of Architects was founded in 1889 and is an independent regulatory body which “serves and protects the public interest by overseeing the architectural profession in Ontario,” according to a media release issued by the organization.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
