Council of Ontario Universities Space Standards Review
Working with the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Task Force on University Space Transformation, the ECS Team is engaged in an 18-month project to conduct an environmental scan and facilitate a series of intensive workshops that will explore strategies to improve COU space standards in support of emerging and future requirements of the university sector. (2022-10-01)
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Programming Study
Saskatchewan Polytechnic will be relocating to a new campus in a combination of existing and new facilities. ECS has worked on a series of space requirement assessment studies since 2017 defining high level space needs for a consolidated campus. This work has informed campus planning and costing by consultant teams, SaskBuilds, Government of Saskatchewan and the Polytechnic. Now in 2022, ECS is developing detailed room-by-room space requirements for the campus considering the vision for a 21st Century learning organization, long-term academic and enrolment plans, support for interdisciplinary learning and innovation, split of functions between renovated and new space, and the mandate to achieve efficient use of the valuable space resource. (2022-07-01)
Study for the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph
In association with JL Richards, the ECS team is analyzing OAC space requirements and undertaking a qualitative assessment of existing facilities in order to inform the development of strategies to improve OAC accommodation and address change anticipated over a 10 year planning horizon for teaching and research in animal biosciences, food science, plant agriculture, environmental design and rural development, environmental science and at the arboretum.
(2020-01-10)
Programming the New Health Sciences Campus of Kuwait University
Brian and Karen are leading the development of the detailed functional space program for the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Allied Health and Public Health as well as ancillary units and support facilities and a research centre at the 400,000 GSM Kuwait University Health Sciences Campus of Sabah Al-Salem University City.. (2019-09-12)
Developing a Strategic Roadmap for Learning Spaces at SFU
ECS is contributing to the articulation of a vision, goals and planning framework that will guide the deployment and design of campus learning spaces to ensure that the University's inventory supports student success, emerging pedagogies, technology standards and functional needs. The project covers SFU's three campuses - Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey. (2018-09-02)
Instructional Space and Scheduling Study at UMBC
Through broad consultations with staff and students, questionnaires completed by academic chairs and directors, and analysis of utilization and allocations, Michel and Margot are reviewing scheduling practices and the use of classrooms and teaching labs on the UMBC main campus in order to identify issues and prepare options for enhancing instructional space policies, processes, tools and outcomes for consideration by the University. (2018-05-12)
Developing a Detailed FSP for BCIT's New Health Sciences Centre
ECS is carrying out the programming work for the Stantec Architecture team engaged by BCIT to design the new Health Sciences Centre that will feature technology-rich, simulation-rich inter-professional learning, teaching, research and innovation settings.. (2018-04-16)
Programming for a new Innovation Centre at Red River College
Michel and Margot are working closely with RRC stakeholders to identify project elements and prepare space requirements that matches the project budget. The 100,000 SF IC@RRC will house re‐imagined academic programs, innovation and entrepreneurial activities and services that will bring together students, instructors, researchers, industry and the and community to accelerate commercialization of start‐ups and SME’s; prepare students to thrive in the new economy; enable social entrepreneurship and innovation; and deliver to employers’ job‐ready graduates. (2017-03-30)
Programming for a new STEM Complex at the University of Ottawa
The new building will feature technology-enhanced teaching spaces that support project-based, active learning; maker spaces and workshops for multi-disciplinary collaboration on innovation initiatives; flexible and adaptable research facilities; and a range of functions open to the entire University community. Recent space planning studies completed by ECS for both faculties and extensive user group meetings are informing the work to prepare the functional space program and functional adjacency diagrams. (2016-06-02)
Planning New Innovation Centres at Humber College
Through consultations with a wide array of college stakeholders, Brian and the ECS team are helping the College plan components of each Centre and develop functional space programs that describe new multidisciplinary settings for collaboration, learning and innovation. (2016-05-30)
Assessing Space Needs for Sport & Wellness Facilities at MacEwan University
Michel and Margot are meeting with staff and students and conducting a visioning workshop with a wide array of stakeholders to explore future trends and stakeholder priorities. Space requirements will be developed and a gap analysis conducted for health and wellness services and facilities to support academic programming and an exceptional student life experience on campus for medium range accommodation needs and campus master planning initiatives. (2016-05-27)
Planning a New Craft College in Oman
In the Sultanate of Oman traditional crafts are celebrated and recognized as an integral part of the nation’s heritage, culture and identity yet handicrafts and the skills to make them are disappearing in the face of the forces of modernization and globalization. Michel and Margot are working with subconsultant Dr. Robert Kavanagh on a Preparatory Study to develop a planning framework for Al Ajyal College, a new national institution decreed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to preserve and help transform the sector by educating young Omanis in material crafts and an entrepreneurial mindset. (2015-04-15)
Helping Humber College manage and plan its space resource
Michel is leading the ECS team on a comprehensive project for Humber College. A Baseline for College Space Planning document analyzes existing utilization and space use as a foundation for planning going forward. College space standards have been developed in collaboration with stakeholders. ECS set out a process to develop a Backfill Plan for space vacated by functions moving to the new LRC involving forms and processes for the submission of applications for space by stakeholders, adjudication of applications, and development of space plan scenarios. The project will also include the preparation of a Campus Development Plan. (2015-03-01)
ECS is facilitating consultations and developing a space program for a new Student Centre
The Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) in partnership with Trent University is planning a new Student Centre at the iconic Symons Campus in Peterborough, Ontario. The new building will significantly enhance the experience of life on campus for all students by offering new places and opportunities for students to socialize, learn, study and engage in life on campus. Brian, Margot and Matt are helping to organize and facilitate focus groups, online questionnaires and an information booth to gather the views and priorities of the stakeholder community on attributes and key features of the new facility. The ECS team is also preparing a detailed functional space program for the project. This effort will inform the work of the architectural team engaged to design the new Student Centre.
(2015-01-16)
Colleges Ontario COFSI standards approved
Colleges Ontario is an advocacy organization representing the province’s 24 colleges and institutes that own and operate campuses totaling over 30,000,000 square feet serving approximately 288,000 full-time equivalent students.
The province's 24 colleges did not have common inventory and space allocation standards to measure facilities use and assess space needs in a consistent manner. ECS was retained by Colleges Ontario to develop such inventory and space allocation standards, in close consultation with the colleges themselves and other government stakeholders. The study started in December 2011 and is about to be completed.
The new Colleges Ontario Facilities Standards and Inventory - COFSI guidelines express requirements within a lower and upper allocation range for 14 types of space, taking into account the enrollments at a college, the levels of instructional activities generated, staffing levels and current building footprint. The COFSI guidelines developed by ECS are thus sensitive to the operational and delivery differences that distinguish each college, an important consideration that led to their approval by Colleges Ontario's Committee of Presidents in March 2013.
Colleges Ontario and its member institutions now have, with COFSI, consistent and clear benchmarks onto which they can better plan space or to advocate for facilities they aspire to build.
(2013-04-02)
Campus Space Plan underway at the University of Manitoba
Michel is leading the development of a Master Space Plan at the Fort Garry Campus of the University of Manitoba. Consultations and tours of facilities are underway with 16 faculties and several administrative and service groups. The Space Plan will consist of space requirements for the campus as a whole and for individual academic and administrative and service units, space planning options, and implementation strategies.
Brian is leading a parallel study to prepare a Master Space Plan for Bannatyne Campus which houses faculties and related schools in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing. (2013-03-29)
ECS completed Preparatory Study for University of Oman
Following approval by the University of Oman Supreme Council, ECS has now completed the Preparatory Study outlining a comprehensive vision and plans for the development of a second national university in the Sultanate of Oman. Working with the Ministry of Higher Education, our team set out a foundational framework for the development of this new undergraduate, graduate and research university that will focus on science and technology with a mandate to drive economic growth. Our in-house planners collaborated with a team of distinguished subconsultants from the Canadian education sector to prepare detailed recommendations describing the vision for the university, resource requirements and implementation strategies. (2013-02-01)
Alberta province-wide PSE benchmarking study released
Postsecondary institutions in Alberta have experienced growth over the past decade, and many facilities are under pressure to continue to accommodate increasing enrolments and research activity. Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (AET) commissioned a study to deepen its understanding of space utilization and space management practices in the province and to inform the setting of capital priorities.
Michel and Francine looked into inventory management and activity reporting practices at five institutions - University of Calgary, NAIT, Mount Royal University, NorQuest College and Red Deer College - as well as province-wide inventory data compiled by AET and Alberta Infrastructure.
Our recommendations outline a method to standardize reporting of space requirements and facilitate the comparison of space supply and demand across the province. Michel presented the report findings and recommendations to a meeting of the Minister, Board Chairs and Institution Presidents in Calgary on March 28, 2011 after which the report was publically released.
(2011-05-10)
Toronto's waterfront is site of new George Brown College campus
George Brown College is developing a new health sciences campus in a prime location on Toronto's waterfront. Michel led the development of the functional space program that guided the work of the design team. The new facility is currently under construction and can be seen in a webcam view on the GBC website.
(2011-05-10)
New facilities master plan for Cornell University's second largest college completed
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), with more than 3,000 students, 400 faculty and 26 academic departments, is the second largest college at Cornell University and the third largest college of its kind in the U.S. For more than two years, Brian and Waqas worked with Urban Strategic Inc. and Stantec Inc. to develop a Facilities Master Plan to assist CALS better manage its extensive holdings of academic buildings and lands.
The project is now completed with the formulation of a comprehensive accommodation plan and priority listing of capital projects matched to funding opportunities. A key recommendation is the development of a new Translational Science building on the Ithaca campus to bring together a broad range of life sciences disciplines in a dynamic, interdisciplinary teaching and research environment.
(2011-05-10)
