Adaptive Reuse Winner 2021

Winner: 2021 Adaptive Reuse in Built Heritage Award

Centennial College’s new Downsview Park Aerospace Campus adaptively reuses one of the most remarkable sites in Canadian aviation history. Once the centre of aviation manufacturing and design in Canada, the building is transformed into an innovative learning institution for the college’s Aviation and Engineering Technology & Applied Science Programs. Drawing upon the heritage of one of Toronto’s most remarkable and yet least known historic sites, Centennial College’s new campus encourages a generation of students to push innovation in the aerospace sector.

The mix of old and new is a unique and special attribute to the project, paying tribute to the building’s original use while maintaining the site’s ongoing affiliation with Canadian aviation history. British aircraft manufacturer de Havilland moved its production to Downsview in 1929 following its purchase of 70 acres of land. The site at 65 Carl Hall Road, known as Plant #1, contains five buildings built between 1929 and 1944. The Centennial College project included the rehabilitation of the heritage building to maintain its historic elements while preparing it for new use. New additions to the building, including an expanded hangar to accommodate the size of modern aircraft, were executed to be harmonious with the original industrial design of the building.

Centennial College’s new Aerospace Campus adaptively reuses one of the most remarkable sites in Canadian aviation history. The Built Heritage jury was impressed with the adaptive re-use of a former aeronautical manufacturing facility: in particular, that the new educational focus of the space would remain on the building’s original focus on flight. The project team created a vibrant community hub that will have a positive impact on the surrounding community and continue to contribute to the legacy of Canadian aviation.