07-13-2015, 01:12 PM
(07-13-2015, 12:23 PM)ac3r Wrote: Not really liking the design. We have one of the most prestigious architectural schools in Canada in our region. What is with all these terrible brick work designs they build here, or the cheap stucco looking stuff they've put up at the Barrel Yards, which also dot the entire city (think the two out by Fairview Park Mall that went up ages ago)? Have any of you visited the architectural school in Cambridge? You can see dozens of amazing neo-modern building designs from students.
Realistically, few developers will engage an architectural school (or a student) for a short-term development project, and will instead work with their existing architectural firms. While students would be less expensive and might have innovative ideas, staying with an existing architect relationship will make things easier as such a firm will already generally understand the developer's objectives and constraints, and have experience working with structural engineers in order to design to budget and still create a functional building. (These are kinds of things students learn to some extent in university, but more so when they enter the "real world" after graduation.)
I have nothing against architectural students, and I hope they will make innovative professional architects, but the fact is that business realities typically dictate using an established firm.
Now, using an open architectural competition would be a whole different thing, and there students could likely make a much bigger contribution.