Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture celebrating graduate students

Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture is graduating its first class of graduate students.

Not only is this the first class of graduate students to be leaving with a Master of Architecture degree, these students were the first students at the McEwen School of Architecture.

While there's been some challenges from not having previous classes to learn from, it's also been a good thing, said Terrance Galvin, a professor and the former director of the school.

"The great thing about that is there's a kind of fresh perspective and a whole set of biases and preconceived ideas that aren't there. And the students have been absolutely amazing and their parents, like the families are invested in sending their children to the school here," he said. 

Galvin says he's happy that students trusted a new architecture program enough to choose it over the other programs in the country. 

"The families and the students kind of made this leap of faith to come to a new place, I think they're very proud, but I think you'll see most of them will be beaming because you know they've really forged the way to establish with the teaching and the faculty what the school is today," he said.

This program is different, it includes a co-op and includes teachings about the diversity, values and issues of northern communities.

"Students have done lots of work in communities from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie to Powassan... and up the further coast of Quebec to Cree [communities]," he said.

"When they did their own thesis, a lot of them tackled issues that they were exposed to throughout the program and we've had people do thesis work on... lots of issues around community resources and issues that have dealt with First Nations communities and Francophone communities."

Denis Lemieux — who is graduating this year — says it was interesting to be the first class, but he chose the McEwen School of Architecture because he wanted to be integrated with other communities and cultures. 

"We were that first class, I'd say our class was pretty resilient but also we're probably the class that the other look up to and looking back now and seeing the students the second and third year bachelors, producing the quality of work that they're doing. It's rewarding for us as the first class seeing that the school keeps on improving," said Lemieux.

He says the six years spent in Sudbury have taught him some important lessons. 

"Whether is designing a project or just having consultations with community members, it's about being sensitive to the needs of everyone. Just having an open mind, because we don't know everything and there's always something to learn," Lemieux said.