Grade school enrolment has entered a sharp demographic dip in many parts of Canada, which means that post-secondary institutions will soon be vying for a dwindling number of students. Perhaps it?s no coincidence that, as the competition for the best college and university students intensifies, the architecture of higher education is getting smarter?and finding new ways to put students first.
In the past two decades, educational pedagogy has increasingly moved towards what is known as student-centred learning: a shift away from the traditional classroom with a teacher spouting information, toward interactive methods that emphasize learning by doing, often in groups.
Now, higher-education buildings are expanding the definition of what it means to be ?student-centred.? In Toronto, Ryerson University?s ServiceHub consolidates student services into a sleek, gleaming antidote to lineups; at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Orchard Commons is an all-in-one residence and academic centre specifically designed for international students and frosh. And in the far reaches of Quebec and Manitoba, Alouette University and University College of the North respond directly to challenges that have previously hindered higher education from taking root in remote communities.    Ryerson Service Hub

Toronto, Ontario

Gow Hastings Architects
A waiting area adjacent generous windows provides a pleasant place for students to work, eat and socialize. Photo by Tom Arban.
In the ba...