Connecting Collectives

This student residence at York University explores the maximization of the collective through the concept of creating a matrix of connected rooms. The project explores the potential of a “middle room” as the room with the greatest degree of connectivity. Overall, it can be read as a tartan containing three distinct buildings, two courtyard sequences, and four ambulatories that traverse the site, stitching it together. Collectivity is emphasized not only through spatial configuration, but also through program. The ritual of dining together – the focus of the earlier project masterplan – is celebrated in a series of dining halls on the East-West axis, stemming from the residence’s shared kitchens. Students in this residence also cultivate food in the greenhouse that stretches along the North-South axis of the site, ending with an academic building that acts as the public interface of the project. The residence provides a feeling of permanence despite being a transitory home.