Fred Kuntz, CIGI’s Vice President of Public Affairs, discusses CIGI’s involvement on the CIGI campus its first inhabitant, the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

In the above video, I discuss the importance of the new building for the Balsillie School from my perspective as a student in the doctoral program. Why did I choose the Balsillie School of International Affairs? How will the skills and knowledge I obtain at the BSIA help me in my future endeavours?

The BSIA is an exciting new institution that brings together recognized academics and individuals with experience in diplomacy and public policy. The interdisciplinary focus of the doctoral program was an important aspect in my decision. It showed the schools willingness to enter into dialogue and pursue diverse perspectives. I wanted to be challenged and to work and study with individuals from various academic disciplines.

The interdisciplinary component and willingness to be challenged will be central in my future endeavours. The skills and knowledge developed at the Balsillie School will without a doubt provide me with the abilities to tackle the complex issues in the realm of conflict and security.

It is the bringing together of academics, policy makers, and individuals from various organizations that is distinctive about the school and that is necessary in an increasingly globalizing world. Gaining the understanding and ability to communicate with individuals from various backgrounds and with various expertise will be applicable beyond the academic world.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to the completion of the building and the exciting possibilities ahead.

Branka Marijan, PhD Student
Balsillie School of International Affairs

Local playwright centre, Pat the Dog, is putting together a multi-media collective theatre piece for the Waterloo community. In this video, Lisa O’Connell, Artistic Director of the Centre, discusses both the Centre and the piece they are working on.

A year ago today, August 5, 2009, the Seagram barrel pyramid at the corner of Erb and Caroline Street was dismantled after being there for more than a decade. The Centre is looking for answers about where they’ve gone since. What happened to them? Where did they go? Who are the new owners?

Pat the Dog Playwright Centre is gathering stories, taking pictures and coopering a play about the historic kegs. The results? The Barrel Project: A multi-media collective theatre piece for the entire community. For more information about the piece, click here.

If you own or owned one (or more) of the authentic Seagram barrels, they’re looking for you. Contact Charmian Christie at charmian@patthedog.org and put BARREL PROJECT in the subject line, or phone them at 519-886-4577.

The corner of Erb Street West, Father David Bauer Drive and Caroline Street continues to transform as construction continues on the Balsillie Campus. Art Carr, Project Superintendent for Cooper Construction, and other area experts reflect on the architectural design of the school, exciting new technologies incorporated into the design and the challenges they have experienced.

By the end of June, the following milestones had been reached:

• The North block 2nd floor has been poured
• The West block 2nd floor has been poured
• The South block 2nd floor has been poured
• The South block Bubbledeck has been installed
• The Bubbledeck for the 3rd floor north block arrived

The Balsillie Campus has been designed by KPMB Architects. Consultants on the project are are Blackwell & Bowick (structural); Crossey Engineering Ltd. (mechanical); and H.H. Angus and Associates (electrical). Subcontractors include: E & E Seegmiller Ltd. (excavation/asphalt/paving); Ronco Steel Centre Ltd. (rebar); Swan & Associates (formwork); Prestressed Systems Inc. (precast); Spencer Steel ltd. (structural steel); Hogg Fuel & Supply Ltd. (concrete); GA Masonry; Nelco Mechanical; Naylor Group Inc. (electrical); C & H Fire Suppression; Merit Glass ; Nedlaw Roofing Ltd.; and Kone Inc. (elevators).

Renowned local artist, Peter Etril Synder, has been visiting the construction site on Erb Street to capture the evolution of the Balsillie Campus, as the painting of construction scenes is a continuing interest for him. Over the next year and a half, he expects to produce many images of the progress of the building of the Balsillie Campus in Uptown Waterloo.

While he realizes that many people think it strange that he paints construction subjects, he finds the topic not just interesting, but exciting. He says the drama of a construction site cannot be denied. His construction paintings are widely recognized beyond the Region of Waterloo, as evidenced by the generals magazine using one of his paintings on the cover of their magazine, available here.

Watch Peter discuss his passion for painting, as well as what he looks for specifically when painting construction sites.

To learn more about Peter and his work, click here.

In this video, Bill Cooper of Cooper Construction discusses the company’s involvement in the Balsillie Campus project. Cooper Construction Limited was hired in April 2009 as the contractor for the project to provide construction management services and CIGI entered the building phase of The Balsillie Campus in August 2009. This current phase of construction will include two buildings: the first building will house the Balsillie School of International Affairs and an auditorium; the second will house additional academic programs. As of May 1, 2010, several significant construction milestones have been reached, including:

• Foundations complete except for the Service Building – construction to start July 1
• Underground plumbing 85% complete
• Electrical underground 20% complete
• Ground floor formwork 85% complete
• Second floor bubble-deck for the North block has been installed
• Tender for millwork is the only outstanding tender.

In this video, Bruce Kuwabara and Shirley Blumberg of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg (KPMB) Architects discuss the architectural vision of the Balsillie Campus, which will house several graduate schools and programs, including the already established Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). The new building is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional academic quad building, and includes a generous landscaped courtyard and a stone bell tower. An auditorium wing adjacent to the CIGI building is a highly transparent pavilion that bridges between the 19^th century barrel warehouse which acts/functions as the entrance to the CIGI building, and the masonry clad bar buildings that form the courtyard of the new school. The exterior expression of the new building relates to the traditional masonry industrial buildings of the region. A super scaled wood clad canopy demarcates the entry to the academic complex.

The landscaped courtyard is the central focus of the new building. Glazed cloisters with Douglas Fir ceilings and columns enclose the court. To create a vibrant academic community, the design of the new school encourages a high level of social interaction and mixing between faculty and students by including a variety of lounge, study and seating areas throughout the building, including a ground floor café on the court, and fireplace lounges in large glazed bays on the upper levels.