Trent Student Centre Honoured With Design Excellence Award

The Student Centre at Trent University, a hub of student activity located at the heart of the Peterborough campus and situated on the banks of the Otonabee River, has been recognized for its innovative design and focus on sustainability with a 2020 Design Excellence Award from the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).

“Trent University is honoured to have our Student Centre recognized with this prestigious award,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “The Centre continues our long history of architectural excellence. Its inspired design and functionality underscores the exceptional work of the architects, builders, students, staff and administrators who made it possible.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

Opened in 2017, with student vision and connection in mind, the sweeping structure has been selected as one of ten winners from dozens of entries ranging from public spaces to government buildings.

“The Student Centre is deeply rooted in the campus,” reflects Stephen Teeple, architect and founder of Teeple Architects, the architects who worked on the Student Centre. “It is reflective of the geometry, materiality and the strong focus of the place on the river, yet it infuses a more dynamic, open spirit into the architecture.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

The Student Centre was selected for the OAA award based on criteria including creativity, sustainability and legacy.

Paying tribute to the original iconic Ron Thom architecture on the Symons Campus, the building is home to a wide variety of welcoming indoor and outdoor social areas facilitating meetings and social events, as well as study spaces, state-of-the-art lecture rooms, and offices for the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA).

Photo courtesy Trent University

Teeple Architects will receive the award at an online Celebration of Excellence on October 1st. The winning projects were also featured on the OAA’s social media throughout the week of September 14th, followed by an online voting period that is open to the public. The top selection will receive a People’s Choice Award as part of the celebration in October.

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Trent U's New Student Centre Opening This Fall Gets $300,000 Boost By Alumnus Justin Chiu

The highly-anticipated Trent University Student Centre slated to open this Fall that will make a great addition to the beautiful Symons Campus has received a $300,000 funding boost thanks to the generosity of international alumnus, Justin Chiu ’76.

Dr. Chiu’s gift to the Student Centre, which overlooks the Otonabee River, will contribute to enhancing the exceptional student experience at Trent that he personally attributes to helping him become the dynamic and successful business leader he is today.

Student Centre rendering courtesy Trent University

“My family and I chose Trent when I was a student because we felt that an outstanding small Canadian university would provide an excellent education on a very personal scale," says Dr. Chiu. "Today, that human touch remains an essential part of the Trent student experience."
 
Dr. Chiu’s latest gift to Trent (he has made many others over the years, including a $1 million gift to support Trent athletes with The Justin Chiu Stadium in 2011) brings the Student Centre project even closer to its $4 million fundraising goal, with less than $250,000 left to raise.

Student Centre rendering courtesy Trent University

“Dr. Chiu’s vision and dynamism has resulted in projects that have transformed Singapore’s waterfront and changed many other horizons throughout Asia," says Julie Davis, Vice-President of External Relations & Advancement at Trent. "Through his philanthropy and leadership, he helps extend that vision to the waterfront of Trent University with a vibrant new Student Centre."

Here is a picture Trent Alumni posted on their Instagram account of the progress of the Student Centre, which is being built next to the iconic Bata Library...

The new @trentuniversity Student Centre is taking shape! Can't wait to explore it in September!

48 Likes, 1 Comments - Trent Alumni (@trent_alumni) on Instagram: "The new @trentuniversity Student Centre is taking shape! Can't wait to explore it in September!"

Here's another view of the Student Centre under construction taken by Trent University's Kate Weersink...

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