Owner: St. Clair College Windsor Campus
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Size: 93,000 sf

This proposal for a Wellness and Athletic Facility sought to promote an active lifestyle for the college’s students, staff and surrounding residents. The facility was viewed as a positive beacon that stood for St. Clair College’s commitment to Health and Wellness not only for it’s students, but also the community it serves.

The complex incorporated the latest in state-of-the-art design and fitness technology and was to be an essential catalyst for the enhancement of student life on campus. By looking at one’s own biology, two guiding design principles were explored that address fundamental notions about ourselves both from a mental and physical standpoint. Firstly the theme of sensorial awareness, the experience of touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell were explored in the project. Through thoughtful design strategies, experiences were augmented through the use of major building elements to heighten awareness of our own existence and to alter our state of mind. Secondly, the design explores the notion of movement – as in kinetics or dynamics. The building is comprised of a series of volumes and planes. Through the subtle shifts and offsets of these forms, the building begins to come alive – reflecting the activity-based function of the building itself.

The facility boasts a wide array of athletic programs that include a full size gym with indoor running track, squash courts, sports therapy facility, and a large fitness centre with cardio theatre and studios. Other programs include classrooms, support spaces for varsity teams, daycare, wellness services, media centre, student lounge and café.