As the population of North America swells at an exponential rate, scarcity of resources becomes a pressing concern for every single citizen. The urban sprawl movement that began in the 1960s saw a complete reversal; entire suburban communities were abandoned as residents flooded inward to the cities. It is no longer sustainable to live in such inefficient and consumptive lifestyles and the need for efficiency in all aspects of life is unavoidable. The prime agricultural land of the then-suburbs has become utilized for food production. Urban nodes across the country developed rapidly to accommodate the millions of incoming new residents. This huge shift required a new system for education and working where all citizens go through a mandatory streamlined education and training program, of which 95% of is done virtually and remotely. However, certain elements of each education program requires advanced tools and resources that are not accessible through home networks, thus demanding a very specific built facility at Queen’s Park to accommodate these elements. After the fall of capitalism and the governing system alongside it, the meaning of Queen’s Park and the failed government system it represents is no longer a positive and desirable symbol for the community. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario building has been thus demolished by the Democratic Republic of Toronto. However, the significance and central location of Queen’s Park is an opportunity to redefine modern society and create a new symbol of hope and progress for the city. It is an ideal location to develop the new facilities for education. The project will signify a new direction for the community and be a built commitment to a new and radical sustainable future. This education and training facility will serve the four functions of work, living, recreation, and circulation. The Re-Education and Research Sector will have several spaces dedicated to the required on-site portion of education. Citizens will also complete a Community Position Evaluation to decide where their skillset will be best allocated within the community. The citizens completing the on-site portion of their programming will spend the two weeks at the accommodations in the Live Sector. On-site Recreation Sector will serve both the students as well as the greater community and have a strong relationship to the existing park and living spaces. In a time of extreme scarcity, traditional vacations of the 21st century are no longer feasible and will also be re imagined in the Recreation Sector. The Circulation Sector will be a central point for resource and information distribution and collection. This comprehensive site development project brings together many aspects of life in the new future after the fall of capitalism.
Circulation
With a scarcity of resources, these hubs serve as a centre for resource processesing and storage. The e ciency and sustainability of processes in the hub is paramount to e ectively extract resources for the future. Therefore, research and data is shared via long range communications with other hubs in order to help propagate important breakthroughs in technology and science. Trains from collection centres from the outlying agriculture elds bring resources to be processed and distributed to the population via outlets. Management of resources are determined by a super computer that allocates the appropriate amount for consumption and reserve with oversight from the Management Council. Data is continually collected from users allowing the computer to improve its algorithms. To compliment the computer’s management over the hub’s systems, drones manage the remote machinery in the elds around the hub while also surveying the health of production.
Education
The prevalence of digital resources and online connectivity has promoted a more remote and self-paced learning. Thus, the majority of one’s education is conducted online through a virtual curriculum. The education facility supplements this by providing resources, environments, and work spaces where in-person interaction is necessary or desired. Research facilities, workshops, and training programs provide experiential learning and application. Spaces are designed with emphasis on collaboration, social interaction, and exibility; large common spaces and transparency between programs encourage group work and connections. There are no expansive lecture halls, where an instructor broadcasts knowledge to an audience; rather, meeting /seminar rooms allow students and instructors to work closely in small groups.
Recreation
Recreation is centered around allowing users to escape from their current surroundings. Through both virtual and creative outlets, people can experience other parts of the world that are no longer within reach (Virtual Vacation Centre), or express and re ne their creative talents in any of the creative hubs (music or art) throughout the facility. Given the state of scarcity, these shared facilities provide an outlet for human expression and community growth.
Live
Living is situated around a central vertical connection to Recreation below. Organizing around this sculptural monument de nes a central axis. Program radiates from public to private from this central axis. On site living is driven by the idea of e ciency and maximum shared spaces. Accomodations consist of large open rooms with multiple beds designed only for sleeping. Students are encouraged to spend time in the shared space around the central axis. Sleeping spaces can be divided into physical pod structures or contained in a single mass.
