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Students to Unveil Designs for Square
LA students map future for downtown Guelph hub
BY LORI BONA HUNT
St. George’s Square, the hub of downtown Guelph, is slated for redevelopment in the future, and a group of U of G students are getting a head start envisioning what it should look like.
About 50 fourth-year landscape architecture students have come up with conceptual redesigns for the square. Their designs, which include visuals, 3-D models, digital modelling and hand graphics, will be on display at a public open house Oct. 29 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the City Hall galleria. The students will formally present their ideas from 5 to 7 p.m.
“There’s already been a lot of interest in the project,” says Prof. Lise Burcher, Environmental Design and Rural Development, whose class spearheaded the initiative.
Some downtown business owners, city staff members and councillors and members of the Guelph Civic League got a sneak peek at the plans during a special design workshop earlier this month, and the feedback was positive, she says.
Working in teams of five, the students came up with various plans for the popular downtown square. They also researched the history of the square, created delineation maps and figures, and even conducted on-site interviews to gain a public perspective.
Although their plans focus on St. George’s Square, the study did take into consideration the entire downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods, says Burcher.
“We wanted to ensure that all connectivity issues are addressed in the designs.”
One group of students has created a website that includes background on the square and the project, as well as blogs about their progress.
“Because the square is such an integral part of the city, we believe this project should be open to the entire community for discussion and interpretation,” says Burcher. “We welcome any and all comments, concerns or thoughts that will contribute to the success of this initiative.”