Portfolio - Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture

Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture 85 Elm street, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada PC3 1T3 architecture@laurentian.ca

Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture portfolio Max BĂŠlanger 2021

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Table of contents

Statement of interest………………………………………………………..............................3 Reference information…………………………………………………………………………………5 Portfolio………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

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Statement of Interest I have been fascinated by the planning, designing and construction of various structures since I was a young boy. Throughout the years, I have built many objects, drew various items and did many other things which even further sparked my interest for the field of architecture.

Examples of these things would be the fabrication of furniture such as shoe racks, tables, chairs, and the drawing of buildings, airplanes, vessels, etc. During the fabrication or drawing process of a project, I ensure that every aspect of my work is done to the best of my abilities. Learning about architecture is and always will be one of my biggest passions. It gives me very useful skills that I will be able to use for the rest of my life.

Years ago, I went on a class trip to the Laurentian university campus to explore the various faculties and courses that the university had to offer. Back then, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I was older. One of the faculties that I visited was the McEwen School of Architecture, where the tour guide offered some details about the course. I remember thinking to myself that this is what I want to be when I grow up and ever since that day, I knew that I wanted to attend this university to later have a career in the field of architecture.

As of October 2018, I have been working at UPI Energy FS in Chelmsford. UPI Energy is a full serve gas station that offers a full serve experience to customers. With this job, I have learned many useful skills that will help me excel in the field/school of architecture. Examples of these skills are customer service, verbal communication, attention to detail, quick thinking, and being punctual.

I have always lived in Chelmsford, a small town that is part of Greater Sudbury and I have always been involved in the community, whether it was by helping the homeless or helping friends or family with various tasks. It has always been a lifelong goal of mine to go to university in my hometown so that I can continue to be involved in the community. I am also eager to see all the new architectural developments that will eventually see the day in Sudbury (new arenas, buildings, etc.). It is safe to say that I take pride in where I’m from.

I believe that I would be a great asset to Laurentian University since I am passionate about the McEwen school of Architecture and architecture itself. I am a hardworking, determined and creative individual who would be thrilled to be admitted to the McEwen School of Architecture.

My persistence, diligence, and willingness to learn will help me excel in this field that I am and always will be ardent about.

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Tweet from UPI Energy FS, July 2020

Link to Tweet: https://twitter.com/UPIEnergy/status/1347539561207844864?s=20

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Reference Information Sherry McAllister: Teacher at E.S.C Champlain Phone number: 705-561-6329 Email address: sherry.mcallister@nouvelon.ca

Farzan Hosseini: Project manager at Belanger construction Phone number: 705-626-9008 Email address: farzan@belangerconstruction.ca

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Portfolio

#1 - Pig Head from the Lord of the Flies This drawing was created in April 2020 and was inspired by the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It was a project for my English class. I had been asked to choose something to draw from the story, so I chose the pig head because it symbolises the lord of the flies. I enjoyed drawing this because it took me out of out of my comfort zone. I have always drawn things such as buildings, ships, airplanes etc. This drawing also helped me to develop a more creative side to my art.

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#2 - Wooden nightstand This nightstand was a project for my construction technology class that I built in December 2020. I wanted to build a simple yet affective nightstand that would be able to support various objects for its entire lifetime. I chose this design because it looks pleasing and is perfect for its intended job. This project taught me various new skills and furthered my experience in building for the projects that I will do in the future.

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#3 - Wooden shoe rack This shoe rack was built in my construction design class in November 2020. The goal of this project was to build a piece of furniture of your choice, and I chose to build a shoe rack because we needed one at home. I needed to build an appealing and functional shoe rack for my home entrance. The reason I chose this design is because it is the most practical and resourceful.

Overall, this project was one of my favourites to build and it bettered my understanding of building various types of furniture.

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#4 - My name made out of steel This project was for my design technology class in 2019. To make this, I had to firstly create a drawing of my name in AutoCAD, then I had to program a plasma cutter to cut it out from a piece of steel. I decided to choose this look for my name because it looks simple yet remains alluring. This project helped me further my skills on AutoCAD and even taught me how to use a plasma cutter, which could be useful in the future.

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#5 - Wooden toolbox This wooden toolbox was a project that I built for design technology class in 2019. For this, I wanted to fabricate a portable and nice-looking wooden toolbox that would be perfect for housing various tools. I chose this design since it is the most practical for what it is designed to do. Building this wooden toolbox taught me to be more precise with my cuts to ensure that every piece fits perfectly.

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#6 - 2-piece wood chair This 2-piece wood chair was a project for my design technology class in 2019. My teacher asked the class to design a chair of your choice using AutoCAD, and then to build it. I wanted to pick a design that would be functional yet appealing, so I chose the 2-piece wood chair. I decided to engrave the Canadian flag and my name onto it because I am proud to be Canadian and I am proud to have the name “Max Bélanger”. This project was one of my favourites because it seriously helped further my skills in AutoCAD and building, which helped me with my next projects.

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#7 – Cellphone storage box This was a project for design technology class in 2019. For this project, I needed to design a cellphone storage box that would be able house multiple phones using AutoCAD. I also needed to make sure that the slots would be able to fit any sized phone. The reason I chose this design is because it really gives the storage box character, and it is very functional. This was one of my first projects that I had to do using AutoCAD, so it was a fundamental step to becoming familiar with the program.

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Link to article: https://nouvelon.ca/nouvelles/news-releases/1322-three-cscno-secondaryschools-claim-medals-at-regional-cardboard-boat-race-competitions-2 #8 - Cardboard boat design In 2018, along with a few of my classmates, I decided to join the cardboard boat race team at my school. Upon joining, my teacher asked me to create a design for a cardboard boat on AutoCAD. This design needed to be able to stay afloat for long periods of time while also being able to hold a ton of weight. I came up with this design because it can be built in a short amount of time, which is crucial in these types of competitions. It can also withstand a large amount of weight before sinking. My team and I ended up winning the Skills Ontario cardboard boat race competition in Espanola, Ontario and we qualified to compete at the competition in Waterloo, Ontario.

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#9 – Canoe Paddle In February 2018, my teacher asked the students in class to build a Canoe Paddle. This was my very first project that had to do with wood working in high school. For this project, I had to create a Canoe Paddle that would be capable of displacing and maneuvering a canoe. This project was an important one since it was essentially an introduction to future woodworking projects.

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#10 – Garbage Can In 2019, my teacher in the design technology class asked us to fabricate a garbage can out of sheet metal. To do this, I needed to create a design for it on AutoCAD, then fabricate it using sheet metal. This project really helped me develop my skill for using this type of material in various projects.

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#11 – Sunset on the lake This photograph was taken on August 11, 2020 at Geneva Lake, Ontario. I took this photograph while fishing. When I spotted this beautiful looking sunset, I knew it would turn out to be a great picture. This photograph means a lot to me because it was taken on the lake where my family camp is situated and holds great memories that I will treasure forever.

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#12 – Beautiful Day on the Slopes The picture “Beautiful Day on the Slopes” was taken at the Adanac ski hill on January 6th, 2017. I decided to take this photograph since it was a gorgeous day, and I had a magnificent view of everything from the ski lift. Every time I look back at this picture, it reminds me of the great fun I had on that day and it also makes me reminisce about the thrill I have when I go skiing.

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#13 – The Trail This photograph was taken on a trail near Chelmsford, Ontario on September 23rd, 2019. I took the photograph because whilst walking in this trail, I came across a spectacular looking stretch that went on for miles, so I decided to take a picture of it. This picture brings back memories of times I went quadding and snowmobiling with friends on trails like these.

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#14– The CN Tower On August 23rd, 2016, my family and I took a trip to Toronto, Ontario. During this trip, we visited the CN Tower on a nice warm sunny day, so I decided to snap a quick picture. This picture was one of the first ones that I was very proud of. Every time I look at this picture, it reminds me of that trip to Toronto on that nice warm sunny day with my family.

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#15 – Stobie Dam This picture was taken at Stobie Dam on May 27th, 2017. On this day, my friends and I decided to go there to fish. While at the dam, I decided to capture a photograph of the nature and the dam itself, the result turned out great and I could not have asked for a better picture.

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#16 – 172 Hours on the Moon essay In April 2020, my English teacher had given the class an independent study unit to complete. I had to choose between a variety of different novels, then afterwards compose a book report on it. Among one of those books was 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad. To me, this seemed like an appealing book, so I picked it. This was one of my greatest essays because the story was extremely interesting and captivating, which in turn made it easy to write about.

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