New student lounge opens

A new student lounge in Room 420 of the Architecture Building is now available for use by all students at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism.

The lounge is a flexible space that can serve as a gathering place for social events, a place to eat, work, relax, or nap, says Juan Ramirez, the Master of Architecture student who led this project this summer.

It features two seating areas with couches and chairs and two tables surrounded by chairs. Most items were purchased second-hand and chosen for their simple, modern style. The orange couches are from the 1970s.

A bar made with tiles from Spain was built with the help of Shane Patience, also in the M.Arch program. “It was a main aspect of the design, as it provides a place of gathering for food, drinks, DJ, and other uses,” says Ramirez.

Last year, after Director Anne Bordeleau designated the space for students, the Azrieli Architecture Students Association (AASA) ran a design competition to help inform how it could be used.

“The room was frankly a mess, as it slowly became a storage room for all sorts of things,” recalls Ramirez.

In August, Director Anne Bordeleau tasked him with consulting students and creating a revised design within the budget.

“This space will in time take on new adventures while building itself into the collective memory of students as a place representative of life at ASAU,” says Ramirez.

Thank you to students Juan Ramirez and Shane Patience, staff members Kyle Bustin and Jenelle Williams, and friend-of-the-school Laurence Campbell for bringing the space to life.