BID projects – Algonquin College (continued)

• ARIDO May 16, 2024
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Continuing our celebration of BID grad projects, we are excited to showcase the projects by the graduating students from ARIDO - recognized schools across Ontario on BLOG//ARIDO, and we're delighted to spotlight their achievements with both the ARIDO community and beyond.

Collaborating with these schools, ARIDO has curated a collection of fourth-year Bachelor of Interior Design (BID) student projects to feature on BLOG//ARIDO. We'll be unveiling these projects throughout May, June, and July, offering insights into the talent emerging from these institutions.

Analeisa Segal - The Climb & Craft Café

The Climb & Craft Café is an adaptive, re-imaginative project of the former Rideau High School in Ottawa, Ontario. This initiative aims to revitalize the community by offering after-school activities following the closure of the school. Research conducted indicates a need for safe, engaging spaces where youth can socialize, exercise, and express their creativity.

This project considers existing building constraints. The reuse of existing storage cabinets for the art workshop and the decision to keep the ceiling entirely exposed demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and budget-conscious design.

The mission of Climb & Craft Café is to serve as a vibrant community nexus, bringing together artists and climbing enthusiasts. Our welcoming and inclusive environment fosters interaction and camaraderie between climbers and artists, offering a unique common ground for connection and collaboration over a cup of coffee.

Matt Staples - The Canadian Museum for Climate Impact (CMCI)

The Canadian Museum for Climate Impact (CMCI), situated within the rejuvenated Rideau Community Hub, symbolizes a profound commitment to addressing the urgent environmental issues of our time. This adaptive reuse project, emerging from the historic Rideau High School, embraces a forward-thinking design and exhibits that educate and inspire societal transformation towards sustainability.

The museum integrates sustainable building practices and local materials, reducing environmental impact while showcasing eco-friendly innovations. It serves as an educational platform, emphasizing the severe consequences of climate change and promoting community engagement through participatory projects.

Designed to be a beacon of sustainability, CMCI aims to mend the rift between human activities and environmental health, fostering a societal shift toward repairing our relationship with the planet. This initiative not only conserves the educational heritage but also repurposes it into a dynamic venue dedicated to climate awareness and action.

Natalia Kokavcova - The NEST community work centre

The NEST community work centre features a dynamic and adaptable space designed to foster creativity and collaboration while ensuring sustainability and flexibility. It's a versatile community work centre designed to welcome individuals of all ages and professions.

The NEST offers a mix of areas tailored for collaboration and focus work. The space reuses the existing structural framework to define four corners of collaboration: a Maker's Space, an Innovation Space, a Flex Space, and a Collaboration Space. Additionally, the centre includes a Quiet Zone for those needing a more subdued environment with focus rooms and work rooms branching off. Furthest from the quiet zone is a cafe that fosters casual conversation and comfortable productivity.

The entire layout is kept open, equipped with moveable dividers and furniture to ensure the space can evolve. This design serves as a sustainable model for future reuse and redesigning, capturing a unique perspective of what sustainability means in interior design.

Samantha Derosier - UnityCare Health Centre

UnityCare Health Centre is an inclusive and innovative space that provides health education and consultation for the immigrant population in the Vanier neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario. The space is to provide culturally sensitive care from skilled volunteer healthcare providers from the region through traditional healing techniques alongside western medicine. By providing accessible and culturally relevant health services, the hub aims to empower the community and increase well-being.

The Rideau Community Hub engages with UnityCare to integrate medical services with community support activities, holistically tackling health and social issues. To improve the overall user experience, the hub’s design will examine features such as aesthetics, community participation, inclusivity, and accessibility.

The community health hub aims to improve the community’s well-being, satisfaction, and resilience by incorporating design principles such as preserving historical features, creating flexible spaces, sustainable design, promoting accessibility and inclusivity, and incorporating natural elements and light.

Victoria Maber - Meadowlands Counselling Clinic

Meadowlands Counselling Clinic is a counselling and therapy clinic dedicated to caregivers.
Caregivers provide assistance for everyday tasks for individuals who cannot do so for
themselves. Meadowlands Counselling Clinic provides specialized counselling services to
help navigate mental and physical struggles that come with being a caregiver and simply
because everyone deserves care.

Located in the old Rideau High School in Ottawa, Ontario, this retrofit features a colour palette consisting of greens, creams and blues that will brighten up the space while encouraging a feeling of relaxation and warmth. Meadowlands Counselling Center is the place to empower the lives of those who enrich the lives of others.

View more projects by Algonquin BID grads here.