Ryerson University’s The Catalyst

As part of Ryerson’s Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD), The Catalyst was envisioned as a new large-scale space for the faculty’s scholarly research and creative activities in a variety of programs in media, design and fine arts. Each FCAD program attracts talented students both nationally and internationally who go on to provide much of the creative talent for Canada’s cultural and communication fields.

Design Background

By locating offices and meeting spaces assigned to the various researchers on the periphery, the central space allows for flexibility for use as an open workspace, display space for ongoing projects or events as well as presentations and talks.  Early on the desire for flexibility was identified as an opportunity to introduce not just stacking chairs and flip-top tables but the concept of the ‘kitchen table’ as a spine to host multiple uses:  impromptu meetings for one or multiple groups, touchdown workspace, display of projects or as a table for serving food and drink during events.

Adding a large new window in the north façade of the building allows visitors to the campus, both inside the RCC and outside, to see into and through the space symbolizing the change in the use of both spaces.  Original Georgian wired glass walls within the atrium were replaced with full height butt-jointed low iron glass with close-spaced sprinklers to again differentiate these two spaces from the rest of the building, creating visibility, and adding natural light and exterior-facing views.

The use of differing ceiling materials helped to define areas within the space, whether the wood slat ceiling of presentation zone complete with projector, large divisible meeting space or securable Tech Lab with acoustic tile ceilings.

The large divisible meeting space was also equipped with large glass sliding doors to the large event space and café to allow the use of the meeting room as an additional display space or servery area.

By locating the café/kitchen adjacent to the large divisible meeting space with large double sliding doors, the wall of the café/kitchen forms the projection wall of the collaboration space and the café and large meeting room act as support for various events and research.

The design team used colour as a non-verbal communicator in the final design. Keeping FCAD and Ryerson’s branding in mind, the team used the well-established colour palette to develop a custom striped wallpaper used to define the outer edges of the space beyond the glass-fronted offices and meeting spaces. The striped motif was also used at the entry portal to the main space on the north side of the atrium, and to visually link the smaller teaching and edit booth space on the south side of the atrium. These colours also were used to inform the furniture selection and finishes.

By replacing some of the seating and flip-top tables in the central collaboration workspace with a long communal table with varying heights the desire for flexible workspace takes on a new meaning. The ‘kitchen table’ allows for a multitude of flexible uses from walk-up/standing informal meetings, to small informal group meetings, large informal meetings, or project display as well as food and beverage servery when hosting events.