Sacred in the Suburbs: The Past, Present and Future fate of the former Federal Study Centre

Photo: Peter Coffman

Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - 19:00 to 20:00

FREE LECTURE VIA ZOOM | Now Available on our YouTube channel.

In the heart of Ottawa's suburbs is a modernist gem that has fortunately avoided demolition. This complex, formerly known as the Federal Study Centre (a federal heritage property), was commissioned by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame in the early 1960s to be a Roman Catholic campus with a high school, a convent and noviciate.

Designed by Tim Murray's firm, in partnership with landscape architect Peter Coe, it was conceived with a notably rare quality of modernist architecture in Ottawa and featured artwork by Gerald Trottier.

Now in the hands of the Canada Lands Company, the campus is intended to be preserved in concept while integrating the 'missing middle' housing necessary in suburban landscapes. Join Andrew Waldron for his presentation on how a conservation project can be sustainable, integrating a values-based conservation approach, all the while providing more housing in the suburbs. He will take a deeper dive into the history and context of the campus, the project itself, the actors involved, and how it demonstrates that conservation is part of the solution to the housing crisis.

Speaker:

For over 25 years, Andrew Waldron has been in the field of heritage conservation. He was the National Heritage Conservation Manager at BGIS, a leading provider of real estate management services. He is a former Parks Canada Superintendent, Canadian Registrar of Historic Places and manager of the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office. Over the years, he has been president of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada and helped to found the National Historic Sites Alliance of Canada, a non-profit organization of nationally significant historic sites. He has written and presented on many topics, and is the author of Exploring the Capital: An Architectural Guide to the Ottawa-Gatineau Region. Andrew is an adjunct professor at Carleton University in the History and Theory of Architecture and instructor in the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism. As a consultant, through his firm, savanturier, he has worked on a range of conservation projects. His first love is Canadian architectural history, and he has specialized in researching modern architecture in Canada. Andrew participates in his community as a co-chair of his local heritage committee.

This lecture was recorded and available for viewing on our YouTube channel

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR ANDREX HOLDINGS.

Address: 
Presented via ZOOM | Pre-Registration Required
Ottawa, ON
Canada