Westminster College is a 50,000 sf building that was constructed in the 60’s and serves as a unique architectural expression of that era. The building, which was originally a student residence, was converted into an academic building that housed offices for the VP of Western, the department of Psychology, and the Early Education School Lab – a space designed as a primary-school classroom to support the University’s teaching program.
SAI worked closely with the users to develop the programme and establish adjacencies that met the complex needs of the facility. Additionally, the building’s relationship with the surrounding grades and the heights between existing floors posed some design challenges in making the building barrier-free accessible, and required ingenuity in order to provide air conditioning, modern lighting and telecommunication systems. Scope also included floor and roof reinforcing for new duct shafts and rooftop mechanical equipment, as well as the installation of a new transfer beam system to allow removal of a ground floor column. The project was completed on time, on budget and to the complete satisfaction of the client.
- Location
- London, ON
- Completion Status
- 2007
- Client
- Western University
- Surface Size
- 57,000 sf
- Key Personnel
- Jim Strasman, Shawn Strasman
- Project Types
- Education
“From the moment we met you, we knew our Laboratory School would become the dream we knew it could be. Throughout our work with you [SAI], you were prepared to listen to what we wanted and incorporate that with what you envisioned for us. Together those two things have resulted in our beautiful Laboratory School, something we look forward to sharing with children, families, observers, and researchers for many years to come.”
University Laboratory School, The University of Western Ontario, 2007
