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Seneca College Odeyto Indigenous Centre, Gow Hastings Architects | International Design Awards Winners

Seneca College Odeyto Indigenous Centre

CompanyGow Hastings Architects

Lead DesignersPhilip Hastings - Partner-in-Charge

Design TeamValerie Gow - Interior Design Lead, Jim Burkitt - Design Director, Graham Bolton - Project Architect,

Project LocationToronto, Canada

ClientSeneca College

CreditsPhotos by: Tom Arban

Prize(s)Silver in Architecture Categories / Institutional

Project LinkView

Entry Description

Odeyto provides a safe and recognizable home for students at Seneca College. Often, students leave their home communities and travel to unknown landscapes to pursue their education. Odeyto (Anishinaabe for ‘good journey’) reflects and acknowledges this. The addition and renovation was inspired by a canoe pulling up to a dock — stopping to gather knowledge before continuing on life’s journey. The addition is “docked” alongside the contrasting rigid lines of the existing precast concrete building. As the only organic curvilinear building on campus, the “canoe” breaks away from the colonial grid.