BID students studying Interior Design

Conestoga BID Projects

• ARIDO May 27, 2020
• • Share this article

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Bachelor of Interior Design graduation shows and events have been cancelled. ARIDO would like to celebrate the class of 2020 from Ontario ARIDO-recognized schools and ensure their work is appreciated. ARIDO has worked with these schools to promote a selection of 4th year BID student work on BLOG//ARIDO and will be posting the work each Wednesday during the coming weeks.

BRIAR COOTE
The new Women’s Place of South Niagara domestic violence shelter will not only provide a safe place to stay for those at risk and house support services, it will also increase the psychological well-being of the clients. The new shelter will be located in an adaptive reuse building, originally built in the 1920s. Five key design factors for healing environments will be integrated and include: safety and security, giving clients a sense of control and autonomy, reducing or eliminating environmental stressors, encourage social support, and provide positive distractors. Universal design principles, circulation, layout, and wayfinding, as well as control over the elements within the built environment all establish sense of control and autonomy for clients. Environmental stressors will be reduced with the inclusion of home-like features which foster meaning and place attachment for the clients. Soft elements like window treatments, lounge furniture, and personalization of spaces all work to dispel the institutional atmosphere. The design of the shelter will encourage social support by creating areas for social gatherings, separate areas for different age groups, as well as areas for privacy. Positive distractors that evoke a sense of respite will also be used in several living spaces, a children’s play area, and a youth lounge.

JOZINA TER HARMSEL
The design concept for the funeral facility is to provide a supportive atmosphere for clients facing the loss of a loved one. The interior is welcoming and comforting, enhanced by the presence of water, which was the topic of my academic research. Events are accommodated in flexible and multi-functional spaces which support various cultural practices while providing privacy and clear wayfinding.

SARAH DEANS
The Idea Exchange Library and Arts Centre is a space for the community to gather, explore new ideas, and delve into the world of learning and the arts. The library gives visitors access to technology and equipment, which they may not have at home, to explore and develop their creativity. The open space plan, combined with engaging elements placed throughout the library, allows for easy and intuitive navigation throughout the user-oriented space. Each space was designed to be flexible to support the many different activities that are offered at the library to support the mission of exploration and discovery.

JENNIFER SULJAK
The Simcoe Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Clinic will create an individualized care experience, fostering a sense of healing and well-being for patients, families, and staff alike. The interior is inclusive, comforting, and engaging through the use of comfortable furnishings, materials, cognitive wayfinding strategies, and biophilic elements. Lighting the clinic space is calming and welcoming, while ample task lighting is provided for staff for their work. Cove lighting and surface-mounted strip lighting provide a diffused glow overhead, while the large feature pendants in central spaces provide a sense of opulence. A combination of acoustic tile, wood panels and gypsum board provide sound-absorption and visual interest. The ceiling in the reception, library, and feature leaf-shaped voids in the café all add to a biophilic motif.

GRACE OSBORNE
The Community Hub comprises five departmental neighbourhoods on the first and third floors: program and amenity, daycare, De dwa da dehs neyes (DAHC) clinic, Woodview Clinic, and social services. Each neighbourhood pays homage to traditional indigenous cultural values, and encourage youth engagement.