Stantec and partner MJMA brought Centennial College’s goal of advancing aerospace knowledge and technologies to life. The team provided an architectural and industrial building design that creates a sustainable, elegant, and inspiring campus with more than 50,000 square feet of classroom and lab space. It also features more than 40,000 square feet of hanger space and 10,000 square feet of student amenity areas and library resources.
The project team capitalized on the opportunity to adapt space left by the historically significant former de Havilland hangar at Downsview Park in Toronto. Inside the hangar, labs and learning environments for aviation engineering and mechanics share space with a broad range of student services, including admissions, a library, and dining options.
The campus exemplifies the spirit of aerospace technology. Drawing upon the site’s heritage, the renewed facility displays site artifacts and information about its history. The design has helped to open the building up to the public realm and renew a dormant chapter in Canadian aviation—all while encouraging a new generation of students to push innovation in the aerospace sector.