The Joint Venture firm of Adamson Associates and Mills & Associates teamed up to win a province wide Design Competition. The SuperBuild Expansion was a strategic transformation to the College providing much needed new educational facilities in an exciting contemporary project.
The principal parts consist of:
- South Wing, Learning Commons
- Integrated Manufacturing Centre
- Centre for Integrated Justice Studies
- Renovations to existing Offices, Classrooms and Main Entrance
The South Building is comprised of primary academic spaces (classrooms, computer labs, lecture theatres, health science laboratories, and offices) and the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is comprised of a 180-station computer lab, study and reading areas, seminar and tutorial rooms, learner support centre, distance education centre, and technological support centre. The design of the College's South Wing signature building takes the context of the existing college and inserts a dynamic curved form, breaking the mould of the existing college. The Learning Common showcases the technological and learning heart of Durham College. An information tower, which is a re-interpretation of a traditional clock/bell tower, is visible from the surrounding streets and acts as a powerful symbol/icon for the college.
The design features a glass curtain wall in order for the public to view the fully functional robotic assembly line. In adjacent rooms the students learn to use the computerized systems that control the assembly line, and through the large windows are able to see the results of their trials. There is also a second floor lab where electronics training takes place to prepare students for the larger facility. Nearby is a computer lab where students may design an object to be made on the assembly line. The facility is designed to allow for monitoring of all systems by students to allow for integrated training in all aspects of operating a manufacturing industry. The facilities combine the latest industrial planning for safety, power distribution, below floor multi service raceways and computerized machinery.
Centre for Integrated Justice Studies (C.I.J.S.)
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The ground floor provides the police training areas. These are hard surface high ceiling spaces where tactical training occurs for police officers, allowing simulation of many scenarios ranging form high-risk vehicle take-downs to barroom brawls or domestic conflict. Rooms were designed to consider pepper spray and simunition. There is a padded room for combative training, and facility for computerized simulations.
The second floor houses the Justice faculty. The feature space is the Moot Court, a multifunctional classroom that can be made to look and operate like a courtroom. The existing brick walls were restored to give a dignified and upscale background to the room system. As well, there are seminar rooms, classrooms and a computer lab.
What was once a quiet office area was converted to a hub of activity and new entrance to the Library. |
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