view . spring2015
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Asanarchitect,KrysiaBussiereBA ’12doesn’twant to justbuild
buildings. Shewants tohelpbuildacommunity.
“Architectscanaffect changeonbotha social andaphysical level,”
theUWindsor grad saysof herworkat theDetroit,Mich., architectural
firm,HamiltonAnderson.
Bussieredoesn’t shyaway fromachallenge.When toldby
Dr.VeronikaMogyorody that theUniversity’snewVisualArts
and theBuiltEnvironment program (VABE)wouldbe “difficult and
demanding,” shewas intrigued. In fall 2009, sheenrolledaspart
of itsfirst class.
VABE isacollaborationof theUniversityof Windsor’sSchool
of CreativeArtsand theUniversityof DetroitMercy’s (UDM) School
of Architecture. It combines the studyof art andarchitecture togive
studentsabreadthof knowledgeandexperience inbothdisciplines.
ForBussiere,VABEcombinedvery “loose” things like thevisual
artswithvery technical things. “Itwas really fun,” she says.
“Like solvingapuzzle. I love thinkingabout howpeoplemove through
space, orhowarchitectureor citiescanbe influencedbyand influence
culture. It’s thinkingon somanydifferent levels.”
TheVABEprogram focusesonart in thefirst twoyears.
If a student’sprimary interest is invisual arts, theycancomplete
thirdand fourthyear at theUniversityof Windsor andgraduatewith
aBachelorof FineArts inVisualArtsand theBuiltEnvironment.
If theyare interested inpursuingarchitectureandqualify, in third
year theycanapply to thearchitectural programatUDM.
ForBussiere, thegoalwasalwaysarchitecture. “Iwanted to study
architecture, but I alsowanted to learn the fundamentalsof drawing
and sculpture.”She spentmost of first year learning todraw invarious
mediums, aswell as somepaintingand sculpture,which ishelpful
becausearchitectsneed tobeable toconvey theirdesign ideasvisually.
“Thevisual artsclasses taughtmehow tocontrolmyhand for
modellinganddrawing,” she says. “By secondyear,wewereall
soconfident inour skills thatwecouldmodel creativelyandquickly
in suchgreat volume.”
Bussiere spent her third-, and fourth-year co-opplacements
withToronto-basedB+H, oneof Canada’s largest architectural
firms. “I learnedmoreandmoreabout thearchitectural process.
I learnedabout ‘constructiondocuments’ andhow they zero inon
finerdetailsasaproject progresses.Over time, Iwasgivenmore
andmore responsibility.”
ThroughB+H, Bussiereworkedonhigher educationbuildings
andon theMarkhamPanAmCentreerected for the2015Pan/Parapan
AmericanGames inMarkham,Ont.
SheearnedaBachelorof Arts in2012 fromUWindsor, part
of VABE’sfirst graduatingclass.Thealumnawasaccepted to the
Universityof DetroitMercySchool of Architecture, andwenton toearn
herBachelorof Science in2013andMaster’s inArchitecture in2014.
Bussiere joinedHamiltonAnderson, aDetroit firm that handles
awidevarietyof projects that includearchitecture, landscape
architecture, urbandesign, and interiordesign.
She initiallybeganasan intern, but isnow full time. “Whileyou’re
in school, youhear about firms fromyourprofessorsandget inyour
mindwhereyou’d like toworkbasedonwhat theydoand thepeople
whowork there.
“WorkingwithHamiltonAndersonappealed tomebecause they
haveagreat studioenvironment and takeon large-scaleprojects—but
also smaller-scaleprojects—in thecityof Detroit.”
Detroit, freshly sprung from its termas the largest city inUShistory
todeclarebankruptcy, isworkinghard to transform itself. Part of this
includesattracting investorsand tenants to itsonce-bustlingdowntown.
HamiltonAnderson isoneof thefirmshelping to shape itsnew face in
aneffort to reverse theexodusof businesses to the suburbs.
WhatBussiere lovesabout herwork is the rangeof projects she
workson. “You’reconstantly learningand it’s interesting.”
Shealsoenjoys “theconstant dialoguebetweenyouand theclient
andyouand thecontractor so that theworkbeingdonematches the
needs, expectationsand standards.”
Thearchitectureof bothWindsor andDetroit fascinates the
grad. “I grewup in theareaandwant to learnmoreabout its
architectural background.”
Of particular interest toher isDetroit, perceivedbymany to
beon thecuspof a long-hoped for renaissance.DuringherUDM
studies, projects frequently involved local sites in theMotorCity.
“I think it’s rare for anarchitectural program to focuson the
communityaspect, and theneed tocreateprojects that benefit
thecommunity,” she says.
“Youcameaway from itwith this sense that youhave tobe
responsiblewithwhat you’redesigning.Wemuseabout thekinds
of changeswecancreateasdesigners, architects, landscapearchitects
andhowwecan tangiblychange, because that’swhatwe’ve learned.”
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ALUMNI PROFILE
BYJENNIFERAMMOSCATO
DesigningWoman
KrysiaBussiere
Opposite: KrysiaBussiereBA ’12
