![\"A](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Scott-Roper-in-Rankin-Family-Pavilion.jpg\")
<\/a>Scott Roper stands in Brock University\u2019s Rankin Family Pavilion, one of the several major infrastructure projects he worked on as a project manager.<\/p><\/div>\n
Roper began his career at Brock in 2000 assisting with projects such as Earp Residence, Walker Sports Complex, Scotiabank Hall and South Block. More recent projects include the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA), Market Hall and the Rankin Family Pavilion.<\/p>\n
“With many of these building projects, I feel we\u2019ve created an inspirational environment that raises people\u2019s sense of being,\u201d he says. \u201cThe building has to feel relevant to each person \u2014 to what they do and how they think about themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says great design accommodates the interests and well-being of individuals, and can optimize the way people learn, work and make the most of their time on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuildings can make life better in the most practical sense but also in an attitudinal sense,\u201d he says. \u201cFor example, students might spend more time in a space than they expect because they feel it\u2019s a positive place where they can be themselves and focus on the task at hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
A large part of Roper\u2019s role was to consider how a building would affect people\u2019s overall perception of the University.<\/p>\n
When working on the Rankin Family Pavilion, for example, some of the design proposals he received were for grandiose spaces \u2014 but that wasn\u2019t on brand for Brock.<\/p>\n
\u201cA reactive solution to a university wanting a new front door is to make it big and voluminous,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m glad this wasn\u2019t the route we chose because what we have now is a human-scaled space with lots of light and interest. It’s reflective of how I see Brock: There’s modern spatial complexity and detailing, elegant colour and material palettes, and awareness of the vitality of people in a wide range of activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the Rankin Family Pavilion, Roper\u2019s favourite spaces at Brock include the entrance to the Walker Sports Complex, the space around the Ian Beddis Gymnasium, the south corridor in South Block (with the tall windows) and anywhere at the MIWSFPA downtown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like knowing I had something to do with many of the buildings, which have hopefully had a positive impact on the way people study and work at Brock,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n