Answers from the architect
On Tuesday, January 27, West Campus students gathered in the gym for a short Q&A with Craig Goodman, principal architect at CS&P, the firm partnered with the school to build the new Athletic Wing and Design Studio in Mississauga. The informative session provided students with the opportunity to learn more about the necessary planning and decision-making process that go into architectural projects, as well as the timing, problem-solving, and other considerations associated with the construction of the new wing.
TFS STUDENT 1: How many days left until we can go in?
CRAIG GOODMAN: Good question. We’re well into construction now. It is literally halfway through. It’s going to be completed in the summer and then we’re going to bring all the equipment in, put up the basketball nets, the scoreboard and so much more, so it’s all ready for you when you come back to school in September.
TFS STUDENT 2: Why did you have to take down part of the school to build the new gym?
CRAIG GOODMAN: That’s a very good question. Normally we don’t like to remove things before we start adding. But in this case, the land was limited and we needed to build a bigger gym than what you have today. To do that, we had to create more space outside your previous construction and include some of the space from your old gym to get the new gym up to the maximum size. I can’t wait for you to see it. You’re going to be amazed at how big it is.
TFS STUDENT 3: Is there going to be a viewing area to watch whatever is happening in the gym?
CRAIG GOODMAN: Yes. There will be a couple of ways of watching. There will be a new entrance on that end of the school and when you come in, one side of the wall is glass so when you can watch from the corridor. Or you can come into the gym and there will be an area where there is seating and you can watch games or take part in assemblies like this one.
TFS STUDENT 4: How long has it taken you to build the gym? Have you come in on schedule and according to plan?
CRAIG GOODMAN: “On time, on budget,” that’s what we like to say. We started last summer. First we had to go through the approval process with the city to get the permits. That took two years. We got a contractor ready and they are on a really good pace right now and we are in great shape.
TFS STUDENT 5: Did you run into any problems?
CRAIG GOODMAN: In architecture, problem is your middle name because you take responsibility for the whole project. We coordinate the structural engineer, the mechanical engineer, the electrical engineer, the acoustics, they all work with us to determine the final construction solution. You’re making thousands of decisions per week and sometimes those decisions take longer because you run into unexpected problems. In this case, when we started construction, we found some things in the ground that we didn’t know were there: some old oil tanks, some pipes, and the soil was different than what we originally tested. So the start took a little longer, but now all that is behind us.
TFS STUDENT 6: What are the primary materials that you’re using for the gym?
CRAIG GOODMAN: So far, if you go there, there is a lot of what we call “masonry block” which is concrete block, a large, pre-cast concrete block that is used in a lot of schools. Most of the walls are made with that. If you look up in the gym, the roof is assembled through wood. We have very large wood beams that support a wood deck. Wood is an old material in construction, but this is a new form of wood. It’s made up of little tiny pieces of wood that are assembled into a sandwich. It’s called mass timber. It is really efficient and it doesn’t use big trees. It’s a much more sustainable way of using wood. The gym and the Design Studio and corridor are using wood, the other parts will have a more conventional steel roof. When the weather gets warmer, they will start putting brick on the outside of the building, wood floors in the gym, and other polished concrete floors in the Design Studio that will be easy to clean so you can be free to be messy in that space.
TFS STUDENT 7: What inspired you for this build and what styles of architecture are you using?
CRAIG GOODMAN: Inspiration comes from many things in architecture. Other buildings, from the neighbourhood, from the people that use the building or it could be the building components, or from history. In this case, it’s a combination of all of those things. We like to see it as a modern building. If we were to characterize it, it’s similar to a Nordic style in the way we’ve used the wood, and the way we’ve placed daylight and windows and the materials.
TFS STUDENT 8: Did we come across anything notable underground?
CRAIG GOODMAN: Yes, we found remnants of an old building and it had to be taken away very carefully.
TFS STUDENT 9: Do you have any equity in the gym?
CRAIG GOODMAN: We don’t have equity in the financial sense. We are an independent consultant that helps you achieve your goals. But we do have equity in the sense that we are building not just for the people that pay for this project — which would be the parents, the community and the generous families, alumni and friends that donate to bring it to life — we’re actually building for the students. That includes the students here today, like you, but also for the students that will come here for the next 50 years plus. We have to think about the future and everybody that could potentially use the space. Our equity is in making sure everybody can enjoy the gym to the fullest.
