A new residence for 740 students and state-of-the-art teaching facilities is coming to Centennial College in Toronto. The project has broken ground and will open in September 2016.
The Residence and Culinary Arts Centre will be home to Centennial’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. The eight-storey campus gateway building will offer high visibility into its academic activity, with open views to the seven kitchen labs, eight additional classrooms, a teaching restaurant and café. A conference and banquet centre with capacity for 425 people will occupy the top floor.
The student accommodation will be configured around a courtyard garden. The two- and four-bed suites will each have a bathroom and kitchen. Corner lounges, located on each floor, will offer additional amenity space including a yoga studio and screening room.
“This unusual combination of living and learning will create a lively crossroads, both as an entry point as well as a hub for the campus to engage students and the Scarborough community,” said Donald Schmitt, Principal at Diamond Schmitt Architects. “Everything about this project is designed to capture 21st-century learning opportunities.”
“Our partners have worked very closely with us to design a vision of residence life that will offer students far more than a place to lay their heads,” said Dr. Craig Stephenson, Centennial’s Vice President, Student and Community Engagement. “Students coming from Etobicoke or Collingwood, for instance, could be living next to someone from Panama City or Seoul. They will not only get to know each other as potentially lifelong friends, they could also get involved in a number of programming activities ranging from international affairs groups, cultural nights, study and fitness-focused groups.”
The 353,500-square-foot Residence and Culinary Arts Centre is registered to obtain LEED Silver certification for its sustainable design, which includes high efficiency glazing and highly insulated walls and roofs. The building will also have a green roof and water-saving features.
Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the $85-million project is financed and will be managed by Knightstone Capital Management.
