EMERGING SCHOLARS CONNECT! TRANSFORMING FEDERAL HERITAGE BUILDINGS INTO PLACES FOR COMMUNITY EXCHANGE
PRESENTED VIA ZOOM
Led by Carleton University Instructor Lyette Fortin, this third-year Conservation Studio project explores the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings in Confederation Heights, a federally-owned district being transformed from a government employment centre into a vibrant, mixed-use community shaped through collaboration among Indigenous Peoples, public agencies, landowners, and community stakeholders.
The student projects reimagine two designated Modernist heritage buildings—the former headquarters of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) at 1500 Bronson Avenue and the former Department of National Revenue Complex at 875 Heron Road—as dynamic places for cultural exchange, intergenerational living, education, artistic expression, and student housing. Through adaptive reuse, these proposals preserve the buildings’ architectural and historical significance while addressing contemporary community needs: social inclusion, cultural expression, collective memory, and environmental sustainability.
An introduction to the Conservation Studio by Lyette Fortin will be followed by five student presentations each approximately 10 minutes in length.
Moderator: Lyette Fortin, Hon. OAA, is a consultant in architectural conservation with 37 years of leadership in the stewardship of Canada's built heritage. Her career has spanned senior roles with the Government of Canada, the NCC, and the House of Commons of Canada, where she led the conservation, rehabilitation, and long-term strategic planning of some of the country's most significant heritage buildings. Since 2014, Lyette has been an Instructor at Carleton University's Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, teaching philosophy, ethics, and practice of architectural conservation.
Students:
1500 Bronson Avenue: Lillian Chang, Emilie Geve and Kai Marks, Polyphony; Sofia D'Amato, Gathering Resonance.
875 Heron Road: Wangle Goose, Green Meets Grid; Alexia De Tina and Katherine Stuart-Kiss, Pulse; and Jocelyne Leonard and Julia Taylor, Sense: School of Expression in Narrative and Sensory Education.
