Since we last checked in on Seneca College’s Centre for Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (CITE), construction has been completed and the building has been occupied. Located on Finch Avenue East near Highway 404, the building is a new "front door" to Seneca's Newnham Campus, its largest site in Toronto. Now we have an inside look at how architect Perkins and Will, along with design consultant Bruce Mau Design, designed the building with Indigenous communities in mind.

An exterior view of the new CITE, image courtesy of Doublespace

Indigenous involvement began early in the planning process, as Perkins and Will worked closely with the First Peoples@Seneca office to organize a series of consultations including a broad cross-section of the population, from students and faculty to local elders and members of the Indigenous Education Council.

The result is a design that incorporates various aspects Indigenous culture, most visibly in the several works of art scattered throughout the building.

The building’s interior features eight murals created by Bruce Mau Design, each featuring an Indigenous cultural element alongside a technologically themed image. Anchoring the main atrium is a ten metre diameter terrazzo medallion designed by Indigenous artist Joseph Sagaj.

Circle of Indigenous Knowledge by Joseph Sagaj, image courtesy of Doublespace

The medallion, entitled “Circle of Indigenous Knowledge,” was named Project of the Year by the Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada in July, 2019.

On the building’s exterior, a mural by Bruce Mau Design depicts a page from the 1787 Toronto Purchase, a long disputed land agreement that provided for the surrender of land in and around Toronto by the Mississaugas of the New Credit to the British Crown.

The new building's entrance. On the left, a mural depicts the 1787 Toronto Purchase, image courtesy of Doublespace

Also visible to passersby is a glowing fixture located on the third floor, which is meant to simulate the appearance of the northern lights. And in front, thirteen columns span the building’s facade, each representing a moon in a lunar cycle and featuring the corresponding Anishnabeg name in writing.

The first five of the thirteen columns representing a lunar cycle, image courtesy of Doublespace

The CITE’s Indigenous-led design is only one part of Seneca’s wider commitment to truth and reconciliation; Seneca College signed the Indigenous Education Protocol in 2015, and has been working to better incorporate Indigenous knowledge into its academic programs.

The CITE is the biggest project in Seneca’s history, bringing 274,000 ft² of new space to the college. The new space includes classrooms and labs, some of which are available for use by local small- and medium-sized businesses.

A night-time exterior view of the new CITE, image courtesy of Doublespace

Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.

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