by Don Verbanac, M.Arch (candidate), B.A.A. (Urban Planning)
In the wake of economic restructuring and market globalization, a crucial component of development and growth at both regional and local levels has become the provision of up-to-date telecommunications infrastructure and related technical facilities. Little Lake Community TeleCentre represents a theoretical excursion into a foretoken proviso of land development from an architectural perspective. As such, it is the subject of a graduate practicum project (otherwise known as a thesis) conducted through the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.
The project developed from a previous study which looked at the implications of telecommunications on community planning and design. Having identified telecentres (or teleservice centres, telecottages, etc.) as an evolving building typology, the potentiality of its application to various scenarios remained to be explored. While most telecentres are located in strictly rural areas, the siting of this telecentre was based upon an established tourism niche. Here lay the possibility of merging work and play by addressing the built environment as it is affected by shifting socio-cultural relations in the workplace and transforming perceptions of place as a result of information technologies.
The proposed site for the telecentre is located at the entrance to a technology park currently being developed in the Town of Midland on Georgian Bay, 142 kilometres (approx. 90 minute drive) north of Toronto, Canada. The impetus for future development has been initiated by the Federal Government with the construction and establishment of the International Research and Development Institute, one of seven facilities in the G7 countries providing R&D for tool and die manufacturing.
Situated opposite the technology park and proposed telecentre site is a proposed mixed-use development occupying 142 hectares (350 acres) along the southern shores of Little Lake.
For the purpose of this project, it has been assumed that the continuing decentralization of office activities from Metropolitan Toronto along with technological advances in telecommunications which enable telecommuting will make "cottage country" a socially attractive and economically viable alternative to suburban and ex-urban areas. Such an assumption suggests that "cottage-goers" will now be able to spend longer periods of time at their primarily seasonal residences due to anticipated employment opportunities driven by telework possibilities in the form of home and neighbourhood/satellite offices. This may eventually lead to the transformation of existing cottages into year-round residences as well as precipitating an influx of new residents into rural areas searching for a different quality of life.
This therefore suggests the design of a mixed purpose complex that will facilitate a hybrid of office, education and recreation functions. The 10,000 square metre (107,640 square feet) building consists of:
The practicum consists of 2 components, the PROGRAM and the DESIGN. The PROGRAM is a 250 page document outlining the theoretical premise and functional aspects of the building. An edited version is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cadlab.umanitoba.ca/don/telecentre.html
The DESIGN is near completion and will be available for viewing in the near future. Enquiries about this project or other musings, please direct to donv@inforamp.net .
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