Thermae Ontario

2024 | Academic | Individual Work | Professor Anne-Marie Armstrong | Public & Recreational

The Thermae Ontario project explores geometric clarity and spatial sequencing, inspired by the clean, rational forms of Ontario Place’s Pods and Cinesphere. Using a grid system, the design organizes programs into a radial arrangement, responding to the site’s landscape, skyline, and waterfront.

The pavilion balances openness and enclosure, with south-facing pools embedded into the terrain for seasonal use, while indoor spaces support year-round programs such as community gatherings and children’s activities. A central core anchors circulation, guiding movement while framing key site views.

A hydrobotanic filtration pond integrates sustainability into the landscape, while minimalist architectural gestures define thresholds, light, and spatial interaction. The result is a controlled yet dynamic composition, shaping a serene and immersive retreat within the urban waterfront.

Geometric and Spatial Study - The initial exercise explored grid, order, and alignment as tools for organizing geometry and space. Simple forms were arranged within a structured grid to study spatial relationships, hierarchy, and circulation. Each element was treated as an individual volume, allowing different configurations to test how geometry could define spatial organization.

Thermae Ontari - Building on this exploration, programs are reduced to pure geometric volumes that expand from a central core. A site-specific grid aligns the project with surrounding landmarks, organizing programs radially to optimize light, views, function, and circulation. Volumes embed, elevate, and extend to merge with the topography, shaping the architecture through its integration with the landscape.