Dennis Bayazitov | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: Concept design photo by Perkins+Will. | Courtesy of YFile
York’s Board of Governors approved a total project budget of $50.5 million to construct a chic new building on the corner of The Pond Road and James Gilles Street.
The building will offer a centralized space for all of the School of Continuing Studies classes currently situated all over campus.
Construction is expected to begin in 2019, with estimated classes in session by 2021.
Implemented three years prior, the School of Continuing Studies convenes a multitude of professional studies program from ranging fields, both online and in-class, and provides English-language support. Featured programs include: Post-Graduate Advanced Professional Accounting, Advanced Data Science and Predictive Analytics, Risk Management, and the Academic Program—an English proficiency program.
“This building will provide enough classrooms to allow us to grow to support immense demand,” says Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, assistant vice president with the School.
“It will also provide a modern and highly collaborative set of learning and student spaces that will benefit both professional and international student needs.”
Early designs concepts estimate the building size to be 9,000 square meters, hosting 39 classrooms with an expected 150 staff and instructors, with additional student lounges, social spaces, and private work and breakout spaces.
Three shortlisted architectural firms—HOK, Gow Hasting Architects with Henning Larsen, and Perkins+Will—participated in a competition for the School, presenting structural designs and projected construction costs.
“York’s capital project management team has selected the architectural firm of Perkins+Will as the competition winner, for project design services,” confirms Chief Spokesperson & Director of York Media Relations Barbara Joy.
“Construction tendering will follow final design.”
“One guiding objective for the competition was how to integrate the new building with its would-be surrounding campus community. The three firms were asked to consider pedestrian and cyclist accessibility and further sustainability strategies, such as the use of structural cross-laminated timbers, natural light, wind, solar or geothermal technologies, and a LEED gold minimum standard,” a yFile release reported.
“The design will consider the possibility of achieving a net-zero standard, with the objective of minimizing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, a theme central to Ontario’s greenhouse gas reduction program,” adds Joy.
“Finally, the building will reflect York’s focus on accessibility, and will incorporate current and leading accessibility design practices.
“We are designing a building that will be as beautiful as it is functional, and as environmentally-friendly as it is healthy for those that learn and work within,” says Taylor-O’Reilly.
“We are exploring a number of innovative and cutting-edge design options that would be firsts on university campuses in Canada.
“It is a unique opportunity for a School like ours, and a very exciting time as we begin the design process in the coming weeks.”
