The Sharp Centre for Design assignment #3

The Sharp Centre for Design

Ontario College for Art and Design University

The Sharp Centre for Design was built to house the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University in 2004. It was an expansion to the original building, which now is located right beneath the newest expansion. The two buildings are connected through a large central staircase, which also serves as a divider of the school between classrooms and lecture halls and studios for students. By having the meeting and recreational areas as a central location (and as a park on top of the roof of the main building), it creates an easily located meeting area for student encounters and for relaxing and/or recreation. The ominous "floating" monolith that is the Sharp Centre is made to look less intimidating by it's charming speckled exterior and colorful support beams, yet it still ominously looms over the old building.

While I was able to find a floor plan, it was less practical to attempt to make a color-code for it. The whole OCAD University campus makes more sense and is easier to understand through analyzing the layout by the vertical section of the building. The stairs separate the school into two halves, one for classrooms and one for studios. Having this unified division will aid students by creating a universal layout so they don't get turned around after climbing the stairs to the upper section. The layout also reflects the curriculum. The separation brings an emphasis on the differences between studio and personal work, social interaction, and class work. Though there is the division, they are still connected by the interaction of their colleagues, leaving socializing outside of the classroom.