In Time is a preservation project of Carleton University’s 1970 brutalist school of Architecture. The new program asked to adapt the building to meet the needs of the next 50 years by adding additional studio space and addressing the building’s thermal bridging issues. The intervention embeds an ethos of well-being into the school through natural materials that embrace transiency. The intention is to showcase the therapeutic potential of natural materials to improve the experience of students and encourage alumni to transmit this spirit into the buildings they design in the future. The addition holistically considers the planet and people with an emphasis on wellness and environmental stewardship.

A compressed earth block envelope wraps around the existing building creating a new interstitial space filled with bamboo, conveying a revelation of the cycle of time. The compressed earth block is a biodegradable, vernacular, and timeless material that can return to the earth after the building’s life. The perforated earthen envelope brings dappled light to the interior to highlight the experience of time as light and shadow change throughout the day. The water growing bamboo reflects the sky above, accentuating the ephemerality of the space. Locally sourced, carbon sequestering, and evolving, the heavy-timber structure supports the new addition and embraces transiency. The tectonic expression treads lightly on the planet and offers positive psychological benefits to users. The bridges that extend into the interstitial space provide peaceful places to practice mindfulness throughout the day and emphasize the project’s dedication to promoting well-being.