NC’s Planning, Sustainability and Capital Projects (PSCP) department is keeping social inclusion, accessibility and environmental sustainability top of mind as the College embarks on significant investments to renew campus spaces.
The team within the College Operations division is leading Project Refresh, making service counters more accessible, and providing industry-level accessibility training to staff members.
Project Refresh
Through Project Refresh, Niagara College is making investments that will breathe new life into student gathering spaces and academic areas, including a refresh of hallways, common spaces, entrances, and classrooms at both Niagara-based campuses.
“The purpose of Project Refresh is to enhance the student experience through informal gathering spaces and interior design finishes that create a welcoming and comfortable environment in which members of staff and diverse student body sees themselves reflected,” said Nadeen Shehaiber, Senior Director of PSCP.
The PSCP is the team within the College Operations division responsible for project management, sustainability, energy and asset management, and major capital planning and projects. Their work integrates a sustainable approach, considering energy efficiency and materials that have a low carbon impact.
“The refresh will reflect social inclusion, accessibility and environmental sustainability,” said Shehaiber.
All design choices will align with the Areas of Focus in the Strategic Plan and the Vision and Design Principles in the 2023 Master Plan. This fall, the College will launch a website dedicated to the Master Plan and projects like the new greenhouse, residence expansion, program area expansions, and more.
The College is retaining the services of a company with interior design expertise to create the design guidelines. These guidelines will be the framework for the multi-year plan to refresh student gathering and academic spaces, as well as renovations and new builds more broadly.
An NC working group for both academic and student gathering spaces includes a diverse membership of staff who will guide and inform on the needs and requirements. Consultation with students, faculty and staff will also be integral to the process.
The renovation work will kick-off with a prototype project of one academic and one student gathering area at each campus. These projects will be determined by the working group in consultation with the successful project consultant.
Following this work, the College will be equipped with a multi-year plan to carry out additional renovations throughout our campuses.
Service counters
In alignment with our commitment to creating an inclusive environment, NC initiated a Facility Accessibility Audit Project in 2020 to review its AODA compliance.
The results of the audit identified various corrective action items that the College is working to implement.
One of the areas of concern is the public service counters across both campuses. A project has been initiated to modify all public service counters across both campuses to ensure their compliance with AODA and best practices.
The project is currently in the design phase with the intention to commence the modification in Spring 2024.
Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Training
This summer, FMCS and PSCP invested in Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) training for two of their staff members.
In August, Jeff Collee, Associate Director, FMCS, and Nazanin Nadri, Planning & Development Senior Technologist, PSCP received their RHFAC certification.
RHFAC is a nationally-recognized system to rate and assess the level of meaningful access to buildings and spaces.
The certification has helped Collee and Nadri bring an accessibility and inclusive mindset to their work to ensure those of all abilities have meaningful access to campus spaces.
“This course has led me to look at everything in Facilities in a whole new way, not only by building codes but wholistically as universal design,” said Collee.
“The course helped to increase our knowledge about accessibility and disability concepts,” explained Nadri. “We need to check that all our projects meet these standards and review the current accessibility level of the college.”
The universal design principles emphasize things like equitable and flexible use, simple and intuitive design, minimizing hazards, ensuring appropriate size and space, and more.
Nadri says they’ve begun to apply the AODA/RHFAC standards to all stages of build and renovation projects. The washroom refresh project is one such example in which they applied the RHFAC terms to develop the Scope of Work.
Collee says that his certification is guiding the work of his maintenance team who are considering universal design in their day-to-day operations when making repairs to existing facilities.
“We have already made improvements, applying these principles and standards, some of which include signage (inclusive of braille/tactile lettering and mounting heights and locations), light levels in spaces (fixtures that include dimming), ensuring evenly distributed light and energy conservation, and adding backrests to toilets,” said Collee.
