Final four Celebration 2017 submissions selected
Monday, September 25, 2017
In celebration of the University of Waterloo's 60th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, the Celebration 2017 Project will embody Waterloo's image as a hub for innovation and celebrate Canada's spirit of diversity and inclusion.
Celebration 2017 sought student proposals for a creative and innovative design for a campus space that inspires and captures the spirit of the University of Waterloo community. The three-stage challenge will conclude with a new campus gathering space in the current Arts quad.
10 student teams submitted their Stage Two proposals for review. The top 4 teams are moving on to Stage Three. The winning team will be announced at this year's President's Town Hall meeting on November 14, 2017.
The four team submissions are:
Team A+Q:
Team A+Q's submission promises "subtle homages to the 6 decades of the University's existence (e.g. historical timeline encircling the area laying out 6 innovations, one for each decade)." A feature of the submission is a solar panel canopy powering nearby mobile device powering stations.
Team FourthCo:
Team Fourth Co's design for the quad is "planned in a manner reaffirming the position of the Library as the most iconic building on campus" and features clear pedestrian paths radiating from its entrance, dividing the quad into two sections called The Steps and The Plaza.
Team Interlace:
Team Interlace's submission was "conceived as a crossbreed between landscape and architecture" and the proposal "suggests a new paradigm in student space design: the "Urban Livingroom." The space is a network of "interweaving microcosms and amenities woven together by leading floor lines and outdoor furnitures."
Team Spatial Solootions:
Team Spatial Solootions envisions "a greener and more intimate social space embedded within the tiered steps." The design features planters and merged seating, realized in concrete and timber lounge decks, and calls for study nooks along the edges of Modern Languages and colourful ground art, among other things.
You can check out the Celebration 2017 website to examine each submission in closer detail.
Top 10 Celebration 2017 designs selected
July 24, 2017
The Celebration 2017 legacy project student design competition has moved into its next stage with the announcement of the top 10 designs.
22 student teams submitted their stage one proposals for review in June 2017. The Celebration 2017 Steering Committee selected the top 10 teams who will move on to stage two, where their submissions will be evaluated by the Celebration 2017 jury.
The top 10 concepts can be viewed on the Celebration 2017 website.
The jury will be the sole authority to select the proposals that will advance to stage three, as well as to rank the winning proposals at the end of the challenge. These decisions will be based on their expertise, the work submitted by challenge registrants, and evaluation criteria established by the Committee.
Stage two submissions are due on August 15. The jury will select the top four, who will move on to stage three in October. Once the final four submissions are presented to the jury, the finalist will be selected and announced at the President's Town Hall Meeting in November 2017.
Each of the ten concepts are on display on a poster board, with room for visitors to add feedback for the teams.
Each of the Top 10 concepts can be viewed this week in the lobby of the Dana Porter Library. The concepts will be displayed on poster boards with room for visitors to add their feedback, which will be given to the teams.
Beginning the week of July 31, the panel displays will move to the Hagey Hub atrium and can be viewed there.
Celebration 2017 jury announced
July 7, 2017
As the Celebration 2017 legacy project student design competition heads into stage two of concept submissions, the jury has been announced. Comprised of staff, faculty, students, alumni and retirees, the jury has responsibility for reviewing stage two and three submissions from the student design teams.
- Tony Frost, Associate Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Initiatives
- Rick Haldenby, Professor and former Director, School of Architecture
- Rob Hunsperger, Director, Design & Construction Services, Plant Operations
- Lynn Judge, University of Waterloo Retiree Association
- Reema Masri, Masri O Architects, University of Waterloo alumna
- Lianna Seebach, incoming first year student, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
- Mat Thijssen, University of Waterloo Sustainability Coordinator
- Bill Chesney, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Students, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts
Celebration 2017 teams submit proposals for review
June 19, 2017
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the University and the 150thanniversary of Canada’s confederation, the Celebration 2017 legacy project will embody the University of Waterloo’s image as a hub for innovation and celebrate Canada’s spirit of diversity and inclusion. This exciting student design competition, built on the success of the I3 main campus gateway project, kicked off in March.
June 15 was another important milestone as 22 student teams submitted their stage one proposals for review. The Celebration 2017 Steering Committee is poised to select the top 10 teams who will move on to stage two.
Members of the Steering Committee, which is co-chaired by Peggy Jarvie and Jeff Casello, share their enthusiasm for the legacy project:
“I am excited to see the innovative energy of my fellow peers come through their submissions!" says Alexander "AJ" Wray, an Honours Planning student in the Faculty of Environment. "Waterloo is full of talented and exceptionally bright people that know how to create a great community through public space. I look forward to seeing the potential changes for this great part of our campus!”
"What a great way for students to show off their creative talent and have a real lasting impact on their university," writes Karen Hammond, a lecturer in the School of Planning. "With the huge talent pool in campus, I’m eager to see a broad range of entries — cutting-edge solutions that push the envelope in different ways, solutions that:
- Make a meaningful statement … about UW’s future in an innovative way
- Make a contribution … by enhancing one of its most important open spaces.
- Make a real difference … to the image and enjoyment of the campus."
“Being involved with the i3 competition and meeting the student teams was inspiring," writes Tina Roberts, director of Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment. "Working with our students, I saw how talented they are and how much they cared about their Waterloo. Little did we know at the time of ground breaking that this new University of Waterloo sign would become an iconic symbol for our University. I have equally high expectations for our students involved in our Celebration 2017: Legacy Project. I expect we will see highly creative/innovation designs, passionate and engaged students, and it will likely be hard for the jury to choose just one winning design.”
Celebration 2017 student design teams assembled
May 17, 2017
As of the May 15 deadline, 32 student design teams have signed up to compete in the Celebration 2017 Legacy Project.
146 students from all six faculties have registered.
Celebration 2017 seeks student proposals for a creative and innovative design for a campus space that inspires and captures the spirit of the University of Waterloo community. It involves a three-stage challenge will see interdisciplinary teams of Waterloo students compete to design an innovative and creative student space on campus.
That space is the current Arts quad, bounded by the Dana Porter Library, the Arts Lecture Hall, and Modern Languages.
The first stage of the design competition is now underway, with student design teams working on proposals that meet three general criteria:
- The proposal directly addresses one, or several, of the elements outlined in the overall Celebration 2017 project brief
- The proposal recognizes the general vision established by the Campus Master Plan
- If implemented within a budget of up to $210,000, the proposal will have a meaningful impact on the identity or function of the designated area.
Teams are encouraged to put forward any idea that reflects the innovative spirit of the Celebration 2017 Challenge. The official stage one deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. on June 15, 2017.
Now that the teams have been formalized, the steering committee will meet to discuss the criteria and process for the stage one reviews and confirm membership for the jury that will review and judge the second and third stage of the competition.
The Celebration 2017 legacy project will embody the University of Waterloo’s image as a hub for innovation and celebrate Canada’s spirit of diversity and inclusion.
Celebration 2017 initiative launches with committee, event
April 3, 2017
A project to leave a lasting legacy on campus in the wake of Canada’s 150th and the University of Waterloo’s 60th anniversaries is moving forward with the striking of a steering committee and the scheduling of the initiative’s launch event.
Celebration 2017 aims to involve students in designing an innovative and creative space on campus that will be enjoyed for generations to come, embodying Waterloo’s image as a hub for innovation and celebrating Canada’s spirit of diversity and inclusion.
The Celebration 2017 initiative is based on the University of Waterloo's i3 Challenge in 2010-2011. Today, the winning i3 design can be seen at the south campus entryway to the Waterloo campus.
The first step after the initiative’s initial announcement in January 2017 was to form a Steering Committee and develop its terms of reference. The committee members are:
- Jeff Casello, Associate Provost, Graduate Studies, Co-Chair
- Peggy Jarvie, Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education, Co-Chair
- AJ Wray, undergraduate student representative
- Ioana Dragon, Undergraduate student representative
- Sean Maciel, Graduate student representative
- Karen Hammond, School of Planning, faculty representative
- Tina Roberts, Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment
- Kristen Leal, staff representative
- Harry Bakker, Executive Director, Plant Operations
- Sue Fraser, Retiree Association
The initiative officially gets underway this week and will involve a three stage challenge that sees interdisciplinary teams of Waterloo students competing to design a space on campus where the current Arts Quad is located.
The winning design will be announced at the 2017 President’s Town Hall on November 14, 2017; the successful student team will win $10,000. Prizes of $500 and $1,000 are also available for the top teams in competition stages one and two.
A jury will be selected that will include representation from faculty, alumni and external constituents.
The initiative’s launch event takes place on Tuesday, April 11 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Bombshelter Pub at the Student Life Centre. Brief remarks will begin at 4:20 p.m.
Students who are interested in competing in the challenge can drop in during the launch to learn more about the competition.
Current students can bring their teammates and come to ask questions, or come meet up with possible team members.
Site maps and brainstorming resources will be available at the event. Free refreshments will be available while supplies last.
Members of the project Steering Committee will be in attendance.
Team registration forms and other bits of useful information are available on the Celebration 2017 website.
Celebration 2017 project will leave anniversary legacy on campus
January 30, 2017
2017 is a tremendous year of celebrations at the University of Waterloo – not only are we marking our 60th anniversary as a University, but we are sharing in our national pride as Canada marks its 150th. The University believes that these important milestones deserve a lasting tribute, and as such we are embarking on a 2017 “legacy project” called Celebration 2017.
Peggy Jarvie and Jeff Casello will co-chair a campus Steering Committee that will guide, advise, and champion a campus-wide engagement process and competition to create a lasting, physical tribute to 2017. Drawing from the principles of the I3 Challenge from 2011-12, Celebration 2017 will engage cross-faculty student teams to submit applications that will be adjudicated by a jury and ultimately lead to the creation of a monument or gathering space on our campus that marks this milestone year.
The Celebration 2017 Steering Committee will:
- provide leadership and vision for the development of the legacy project;
- provide regular updates to Executive Council;
- advise on a comprehensive campus engagement strategy and ongoing communications to campus throughout the life of the project, ensuring transparency and momentum amongst all University of Waterloo stakeholders;
- act as champions to ensure widespread engagement, leveraging the legacy project throughout the year as an opportunity for pride building during the 60th anniversary;
- select a jury comprised of internal and external constituents;
- draw on and respond to campus feedback as appropriate; and
- solicit external feedback as appropriate.
Expressions of interest are being solicited for membership to the Steering Committee:
- Two undergraduate students;
- One graduate student;
- One faculty at large;
- One staff at large
Participation would ideally include perspectives from planning, engineering, fine arts, and architecture, but all individuals with an interest in campus engagement are welcome to express interest in participation. Note that student representatives to the Steering Committee are ineligible to take part in the competition.
The Steering Committee will meet regularly throughout 2017, acting as champions for the project.
If you are interested in participation, please forward a brief email outlining your expression of interest to Peggy Jarvie or Jeff Casello no later than February 10.