The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Campus, an independent non-partisan think tank for international governance, is a shared initiative by CIGI, the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University. The specific objectives were to create a building to last for at least 100 years that feels like a “vibrant sanctuary” yet is “functional not fancy.” It also had to have a courtyard and a bell tower. Located on the only site in Canada bounded by three Governor General’s Award-winning projects–the Perimeter Institute by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery by Patkau Architects, and the former Seagram Museum by Barton Myers–design excellence was mandated. Finally, it had to make a valuable contribution as an intellectual and social counterpoint to the city of Waterloo’s prominent high-tech industry.
A conversion of the former Seagram Distillery (1857) into a campus comprising a 19th-century barrel house with a new academic building, the plan is sited to create a pedestrian path between the existing and new buildings. The main elevation with its large-scale entrance canopy and bell tower establishes a bold identity for CIGI, while providing a contextual response to the 19th-century masonry buildings in scale, proportions and materials.
The design presents a contemporary reinterpretation of a traditional academic quad. The plan organizes two three-storey double-bar buildings and an auditorium pavilion around a central courtyard. The ground floor is continuous and highly public. Solid masonry elevations facing the street are contrasted with three-storey glazed elevations facing the courtyard. Classrooms, auditorium and offices are accessed from a continuous cloister furnished with seating and fireplaces to invite people to cross paths and share ideas. The social spaces are balanced with a series of private offices to support focused thinking.
Please continue reading … taken from canadianarchitect.com