6 Feb 2026

ARIDO Award: Centennial College A-Building Expansion

The client’s vision is brought to life through a building expansion that carries meaning and purpose into every space.

Category: LEARN

Interior Designer: Chen Cohen, ARIDO
Design Firm: DIALOG
Design Team: Camille Ganuelas, ARIDO
Joint Venture: Eladia Smoke, Smoke Architecture Inc.

Photographer: James Brittain

Bright and open lounge area surrounded by large glass walls and views of the surrounding buildings and nature. The interior has a lot of wood elements and finishes, with exposed HVAC and pipes above

A hallway above which overlapping wavy wooden pieces with colourful indigenous art painted on it are hanging from the ceiling with linear lighting running in between them.

An image of an animal made up of overlapping wavy wooden pieces. Each piece has a part of the animal painted on it, making up the whole shape of the animal as it is viewed from the front. This is just one section of the feature that hangs on a hallway ceiling

From the ascending grand stair of Wisdom Hall to the central Indigenous Commons, where light, wood, and art come together to honour the land and its people, to the emobdiment of the spirit of “Two-Eyed Seeing,” which harmonizes Indigenous wisdom and Western perspectives into a shared, living story; Indigenous culture and storytelling are seamlessly woven throughout the building. Rooted in the values of creativity, connection, and respect, the building becomes a teacher and a living storyteller guiding students along pathways rich with symbolism, culture, and connection.

A circular room where walls are made of a basket-like weave with people sitting on chairs set up in a circle in the centre. In the centre of the ceiling is a circular opening

At every turn, inclusivity and well-being are thoughtfully woven into the design, creating a welcoming place for all identities, traditions, and aspirations for the future. As Canada’s first LEED Gold, net-zero carbon, WELL-certified, mass timber higher-education facility, it rises as a powerful symbol of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and a future shaped by reconciliation.

Text by: The Interior Designer

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