The Student Centre is also deeply responsive to York student needs
and feedback. The project is the result of a 2013 referendum in
which 90% of students voted in favor of a second campus building
devoted solely to student space. The referendum secured the
highest voter turnout in the history of Canadian post-secondary
institutions.
“The Student Centre has always been dedicated to the diverse
York University student body that uses it each day. I don’t know of
any other project that infused the breadth and depth of student
engagement we undertook in the Centre’s design process,” added
Vimalachandran. “We asked, we listened, and we understood
our students in order to translate their hopes and needs into a
building that can make valuable impacts on their experiences for
generations.”
Located at the north end of a significant campus green, the building’s
central location on York’s campus makes it easily accessible to the
50,000 students. The design includes an array of sustainable and
user-led initiatives including bicycle parking, showers, green roofs,
high-performance glazing/curtain wall, gender-neutral washrooms,
and extensive use of natural lighting. A primarily transparent
building façade acts as a design response to the student body’s
desire to be open and welcoming to all.
Datasheet
Project Name: York University Student Centre
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Size: 126,000 SF
Architecture Firm: CannonDesign
Photographers: Tom Arban, Connie Tsang, Lisa Logan
www.cannondesign.com
A PRIMARILY TRANSPARENT BUILDING
FAÇADE ACTS AS A DESIGN RESPONSE TO
THE STUDENT BODY’S DESIRE TO BE OPEN
AND WELCOMING TO ALL.