Are you interested in redesigning spaces using only your imagination and the skills you learn in drafting school? More and more often, historical landmarks and other existing buildings are being reclaimed, refurbished, and redesigned to serve new purposes in the modern world. It takes a great deal of skill and creativity to make this happen.
When you become an architectural computer-aided design (CAD) technician, you’ll be one of the specialized workers qualified to completely redesign spaces to serve brand new—and often drastically different—functions.
Ready for some inspiration? Here are the top 4 repurposed buildings every CAD student should see:
1. Vancouver’s Sea Salt Factory Building Becomes a New Foodie Hotspot
Some of the world’s most compelling repurposed buildings are found right here in Canada. A great example is Vancouver’s old sea salt factory, built in the 1930s to process unrefined salt from the ocean into table salt. It sat empty for over 40 years, until the 2010 Winter Olympics, when it was outfitted to become a temporary residential venue for visiting athletes.
After the 2010 Winter Olympics, the site was brought back to life by architectural designers who raised it more than a meter to connect it with the modern roads, outfitted it with vintage woodworking, and reinforced it with steel beams. It’s now a fully-functional foodie destination spot, featuring a micro-brewery, craft pub, bakery, cafe, and restaurant.
2. Architectural CAD Courses at Work in Portugal’s LX Factory Transformation
Graduates of architectural CAD programs learn how to make the most out of the design parameters they are given by a client, construction manager, or lead architect. They work within those parameters to draft designs that meet each requirement with both functionality and creativity.
In Lisbon, Portugal, designers made the most of what they had by transforming the LX Building—a textile warehouse from 1864—into a hip community hub/bookstore.
The store retains its industrial aesthetic, with metal floors and open staircases. The difference is the charm added by shelves of books, an art gallery, event and concert venues, exhibition spaces, and more. It even has an industrial-themed coffee bar, where poetry readings are frequently held.
3. Turning a Coca-Cola Factory into a Greenspace with an Architectural Technician Team
In 2006, an abandoned Coca-Cola factory in Oostkamp, Belgium, was bought by the city with plans to transform it into some kind of eco-friendly public building.
The architectural technician team in charge of the project took the existing structure and added an entire host of features that would make it more environmentally friendly, including:
- Waterproof exteriors
- Weather-reading heating systems
- A solar paneled roof
- An outdoor park made entirely from recycled materials
Who’d have thought to turn a Coca-Cola factory into an environmentally-friendly greenspace?
Built to serve a new function as an open and accessible public space, technicians even outfitted the factory with new, moveable interior walls! Space is now enjoyed by public officials and tourists alike.
4. Architectural Technicians Turn Germany’s Abandoned Nuclear Plant into a Theme Park
Wunderland Kalkar is an amusement park built on an old German nuclear power plant. When the plant was abandoned in 1991, a developer had a truly out-of-the-box idea to turn this power site into a family fun-zone.
Architects chose not to disrupt much of the power plant’s original structure: the old cooling tower still stands, now with a 58-meter long swing inside it. The site’s buildings now feature 40 different rides and attractions, including a carousel and a roller coaster that visitors can ride across the West German property.
It may sound strange, but it’s true: the possibilities are endless with training in state-of-the-art architectural design technology.
Are you interested in taking architectural CAD courses?
Visit Digital School to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals.
