Ramblings on Campus Buildings

The buildings we spend our time in are important. Especially in university, we spend a lot of time in the same few buildings where our classes and study sessions take place. So in the spirit of architecture, and complaining, let's rank some of the more relevant buildings that make up the Lakehead Thunder Bay campus.

University Centre - Agora

Let's start the list off with the most central building on campus. The Agora is generally the building the student body interacts with the most. The first thing you notice when observing this structure is its brown and grey palette. The Agora is kind of an almost brutalist-inspired building, but it's a bit too boring to be labelled as ‘hip Gen Z brutalism’. Really when you're walking around the building, it's so middle-of-the-road that it's almost a novelty in itself, with some cool windows I guess? Overall, 5/10.

School of Medicine Building

If I were one of the poor souls who decided to spend my time getting near god-like academic grades for the small chance of going to med school, only to see this building, I would be underwhelmed. You imagine medical school as a stately academic heaven, maybe Hogwarts-like, with strange things in jars and the like. But here we have a cookie-cutter building with lots of glass, very sterile, kinda like a hospital. Overall, MCAT score of 490.

Chancellor Paterson Library

The Chancellor Paterson Library has the energy of a more interesting Agora. While the layout and inherent design are not going to blow any minds, it is filled with books, and generally, the layout of the building is dynamic and scholarly. The seating layout on every floor feels natural, and it is generally a building where you can feel social or secluded depending on your mood.

Overall, 7/10 academic peer-reviewed papers I found on the library website.

Ryan Building

Yeah, it's ok I guess? 5 Ryans/10.

ATAC

I mean, come on. If you want a modern university building, this is the one. The building is filled with natural light, exposed pipes that make it feel dynamic, and concrete that does not feel suffocating. With many places to sit, and even splashes of colour here and there, the ATAC building is really the most complete building at Lakehead. And trust me, this is coming from someone with no formal education in architecture, so you know it's accurate. 10/10.

Bora Laskin- PACI

This one is a bit of a curveball on the list (considering there are a bunch of other boring buildings not being covered), but one has to mention one of the most beautiful buildings Lakehead currently owns, PACI. Formerly a high school, this building is from a bygone era of structures people felt inspired walking into. Beautiful stonework, inspired staircases, and overall, just an immaculate academic building. 11/10.

Overall, from this brief and not comprehensive list what can we take away?

Maybe we can take a moment to think about the spaces we spend our days, how do these buildings affect how we feel? How do they inspire us? How do they impact our MCAT scores? Really, just some food for thought, and I'll see you in the ATAC.