Interior Design students re-design vacant shops on Jarvis Street
Adaptive reuse can be the perfect solution to breathe new life into an old building. That is exactly what a group of second-year design students did. Led by architect and designer, Professor Stephanie Davidson (opens in new window) , Interior Design students used a vacant storefront as an exhibition site to share student work showing adaptive reuse projects for vacant shops. The illustrations emerged from a design studio course which aimed to reuse five different existing commercial spaces along the historic shopping street of Fort Erie, Ontario, a small bordertown across from Buffalo, NY.
Illustration by student Gabrielle Leighton (2022). Courtesy of Stephanie Davidson
Up until the mid-1970s, Jarvis Street in Fort Erie was a flourishing commercial area providing community members with various amenities. However, over the last 30 years, strip malls and big box stores with large parking lots developed along the town’s secondary highway, have pulled commercial activity away from Jarvis Street and left many storefronts vacant.
“It's a highly specific spot, and the studio asked students to re-imagine new chapters for various shop spaces. The council member of the ward, the economic development officer for the town, as well as shop owners, offered their ‘take’ on the street so that students could study it remotely and gain some insight from local residents and stakeholders,” said Davidson.
Illustration by student Eira Roberts (2022). Courtesy of Stephanie Davidson
Second-year student Eira Roberts expressed that the studio course and exhibition inspired her work for the Jarvis Street project. She says that although storefronts are often overlooked, they are an integral part of smaller communities.
“I am continuously finding new opportunities and instances involved in adaptive reuse projects, learning how to extend life and re-invite excitement into the built environment,” she said. “Seeing my work printed and mounted for public viewing was gratifying and came full circle.”
Exhibition reception on Jarvis Street, Fort Erie
Courtesy of Stephanie Davidson
The inspiration for Jarvis Street
The buildings on Jarvis Street are old and robust and they offer formal and material expression and an urban density that is not found anywhere else in the town. The vacant shops along this intact, historic street, provided a rich site for the studio course.
The students analyzed their assigned buildings throughout the term, drawing and 3D modelling them to carefully study attributes such as natural light and how it changes throughout the day and during different times of the year. Using feedback from the council member and conversations with local residents, students brainstormed new shop types that would resonate with the community, such as souvenir shops, plant shops and bulk food stores.
“The main highlight of this project was involving individuals outside of TMU to offer their insight and expertise on this specific task. We were lucky to have Tom Morrison, a structural engineer specializing in historic buildings, as a speaker in class, explained Davidson. “Council member McDermott from Ward 1 in Fort Erie had first-hand memories of Jarvis Street decades ago when it was a thriving, social and commercial epicentre.”
Interior Design student Isabella Bos describes the Jarvis Street exhibition as a very rewarding experience and a great opportunity where she was able to apply skills learnt in class.
“It felt like a lot had changed between when we first started the project and when we mounted the exhibition,” Bos said. “Being able to design and repurpose a space felt more rewarding in a sense because there was a boundary we were confident in but we still got to make our own design interventions and create the space we wanted.”
Illustration by student Eira Roberts (2022). Courtesy of Stephanie Davidson
Reflecting on the project
Davidson, whose primary area of interest is the reinterpretation of existing buildings and expanded forms of architectural drawings recalls, “what I experienced, and what I'd like others to know about this project, is that architectural drawings can resonate with many people. The illustrations are a kind of gentle form of advocacy for the vacant buildings on Jarvis Street - they're colourful and captivating - but these illustrations wouldn't have existed without the buildings themselves.”
This project also received local media coverage (external link, opens in new window) applauding the work of students at The Creative School. 
The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.
