Centennial College Ashtonbee Campus Student HUB & Recreation Centre

Toronto, ON
Construction Cost: $40 million (CAN)
Area / Square Feet: 87,000
Occupancy Date: August 2014

Centennial College is the oldest publicly funded college in Ontario, with four campuses serving the greater Toronto area. The new Student HUB is the result of a renewal project on the Ashtonbee campus that sought to address safety concerns, accessibility issues, aging infrastructure and buildings, and lack of student support services and social gathering spaces.

The Student HUB is the new face and arrival gateway of campus. A generous double-height atrium contains bleacher seating to accommodate the seasonal rush of enrollment, general study space and after-hours event space. As part of the renewal project, the college also renovated and expanded its existing recreation facility, which housed only a gym and small change rooms. The new recreation and wellness center also includes an aerobic, strength and conditioning training center, which, along with the refurbishment of the existing gymnasium and change rooms, creates a new holistic wellness center.

The design acts as a figurative and literal bridge. It is highly transparent, with welcoming space that offers panoramic views. Ceramic frit creates a unique and authentic building pattern, offering modulated light and views into and out. Stainless steel panels selected to celebrate the college’s reputation as the largest training school for transportation technology in Canada create shifting colors and light reflection.