INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH EXHIBITION

Wins Bridgman initiated and organized Industrial Strength, an exhibition of student projects from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture. The exhibition focused on social housing for the redevelopment of marginalized historically rich sites deeply rooted in Winnipeg's history, including the Ogilvie Mills and Princess Block sites. The student’s promising architectural responses of adaptive reuse were topical at the time, for these sites were threatened with demolition by the City. Their proposals showed how crumbling structures can be rehabilitated and used productively again by employing state-of-the-art technology. The Exhibition was on dispIay in the Mayor's Foyer at City Hall, from 26 January through to 15 February 2001. This was the first such exhibition of student work ever featured at City Hall. Wins Bridgman, then Principal of DAPR Architecture (now known as BridgmanCollaborative Architecture), received a Heritage Winnipeg Distinguished Service Award in 2001 for initiating and organizing Industrial Strength. [Note: The Ogilvie Mill was demolished in 2005. You may watch a movie of the demolition here.] 

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