The building is designed to meet the post-pandemic needs of students with an inclusive, accessible and sustainable space that will foster learning and help fill Canada’s pressing labour market gaps.
York University’s School of Continuing Studies celebrated the official launch of its new, signature home in May – opening the doors to a new, state-of-the-art building with a unique, twisted design.
The new, dedicated space on York’s Keele Campus is a testament to the growth of the School, as well as the need for continuing education options to respond to the growing skills gaps and talent shortages in Canada. The six-story, 120,000-square-foot, 50-classroom, building serves as an example of how a post-pandemic learning space can blend in-person and virtual learning formats using the latest technology to support the needs of students.
“The School of Continuing Studies embodies York’s commitment to 21st century learning which identifies access to a high-quality education and global engagement as core components of York’s University Academic Plan,” says York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “We have been a leader in the lifelong learning space since our inception and we had the goal to create dedicated space to accommodate the unique needs of continuing education students locally and from abroad.”
A limited engagement plenary session featured speeches from Lenton and Christine Brooks Cappadocia, associate vice-president of continuing studies at York University as well as a keynote address from world-champion Canadian hurdler, author, TV host and speaker, Perdita Felicien.
“Our leading edge, cohort programs are co-developed with industry to develop graduates prepared to thrive in a skills-based economy. Last year alone we delivered more than a million hours of learning,” says Brooks-Cappadocia.
In 2018, the architecture firm Perkins&Wills was selected to design the building, led by architects Safdar Abidi and Andrew Frontini. The twisted architecture symbolizes the School’s twist on the traditional mission of continuing studies to solve Canada’s most pressing labour market gaps by connecting employers and a highly-skilled, ambitious talent pool through its innovative language and professional programs.
The structure is built to ensure complete adherence to sustainability in design. The building is designed to LEED Gold, and will be certified accordingly, and meets the City of Toronto Green Standards.
Students, instructors and staff were included in both the scoping and design phases of the project and after nine years of planning, the School of Continuing Studies building is finally uniting its programs, students, instructors and staff under one roof.