By: Nick Liard

The Laurentian University School of Architecture will provide a unique opportunity for students as the first new architecture school build in Canada in over 40 years.

The 54 thousand square foot new facility at the school downtown will connect with the existing buildings and is made mostly of cross-laminated timber(CLT), a strong, renewable wood that can be built to scale.

Founding Director, Terrance Galvin says the wood which has a Northern feel, has it’s environmental benefits as well, as the number of trees used are reduced and it is sustainable.

Lead Architect David Warne with LGA says this is the first significant use of CLT in Ontario.

The wood comes from Quebec and is put together by machines.

The wood will all be exposed in the building not covered by drywall so students will learn from the building and apply similar techniques to their work.

The wood for this building reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 150 metric tons in comparison with conventional building materials, equivalent to the energy required to operate a home for 46 years.

It is also equivalent to 103 cars off the road for a year.

The school will be completed by early Winter 2016.