TORONTO—York University is constructing the first dedicated structure for its School of Continuing Studies as a twisted new building that will be quite large; but the need is even bigger.

The new building, located at York University’s Keele campus, will serve as home to the School and will help to meet some of the increasing demand for its cutting-edge, innovative professional certificate programs and the world-renowned York University English Language Institute (YUELI), winner of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 iStudy Award for World Language School of the Year and nominee for the PIEoneer 2019 Language Educator of the Year award. Currently, students attend classes at various locations throughout the campus and staff are spread across four buildings.

Perkins and Will is the architect on the project and the builder is Aquicon Construction.

“Our students are bold, they’re confident, they’re ambitious. The building is an embodiment of who we are as a school,” said Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, Assistant Vice-President, Continuing Studies. “The building will be a twisted, iconic gateway site and showcase York’s long commitment to providing high-quality education to non-traditional students.”

“In uncertain times, the need for innovative and responsive lifelong learning is greater than ever,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. “This new, standalone home for our School of Continuing Studies demonstrates York’s commitment to serving the current and future needs of learners and employers, here at home and around the world, as they rise to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands of a dynamic global knowledge economy.”

In March 2020, developers broke ground and began construction on the York University School of Continuing Studies’ signature new 97,000-square-foot building.

Scheduled to open for students in fall 2021, the building will allow for expanded access to the English-language university pathways that support international students and new Canadians, and innovative programming to support professionals looking to pursue exciting careers in emerging and in-demand career fields.

In five years, the School has seen over 1,000 percent growth in its professional program enrollments. The cutting-edge building will accommodate the School’s rapidly growing student and staff population.

“Our language programs are the top programs in North America. Our professional programs are among the most innovative in Canada and among the top programs in North America,” said Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, Assistant Vice-President, Continuing Studies. “Our physical environment needs to be an extension of the quality of the education we’re providing to our students. This building will allow us to bring innovation using the cutting-edge twisted design to create a world-class education experience in North America.”

York University’s School of Continuing Studies is the fastest-growing continuing education provider in the country. With a commitment to lifelong learning and access to education, the School offers professional certificate programs and English language preparation.

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The design of the new facility has been assigned to Perkins+Will, a global firm boasting a staff of 1,500 in 24 locations worldwide, over such notable candidates as HOK and Gow Hastings Architects, according to art industry magazine Blouin ArtInfo. Several interesting ideas are on the proverbial drawing board, including the possible use of timber to create the facility’s main structure. Likewise, the building’s facade, the design of which suggests something that might have leaked from a kaleidoscope, will be comprised of angular photovoltaic panels. Glazed openings will help facilitate the presence of natural light throughout the building and a heat recovery ventilation system will help the project toward its LEED Gold certification goal. This includes the ambition to also be net zero on energy as well as net zero on carbon.

As ReNew Canada, an infrastructure industry publication observed, “The design balances the needs of the school itself, the larger campus and the planet, setting a new standard for sustainability, design excellence, and student experience on Canadian campuses.”

As admirable as its green themes are, the project also endeavors to capture more than natural energy — it wants to capture the hearts of its student body and foment a genuine sense of community. “A primary objective for York University and the Perkins+Will team was the creation of a sense of home and belonging for the School of Continuing Studies,” explained a statement on the firm’s website, which announced the win.

Throughout, the Perkins+Will design is meant to engender a sense of on-campus community. The use of daylight, transparent design motifs and spaces that interconnect between floors are intended to spur student interaction and serve as a place for events that support the development of the school’s culture and community.

“This building is critical to expand the pathways that support international students and new Canadians as well as innovative continuing education to support young professionals in meeting the demands of tomorrow’s workplaces,” said York University Assistant Vice President Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly in a statement.

The School of Continuing Studies was established in 2015 in an effort to combine continuing professional education programs with English language support. Three years later, it is one of the largest schools of its kind in Canada.

“The creation of a new, stand-alone home for our School of Continuing Studies is another important step forward in improving access to post-secondary education at York. This new building will enable us to create even more lifelong learning opportunities, build connections with local and international communities, and help students of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their fullest potential,” said Rhonda Lenton, York University president and vice chancellor, in a statement.

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