Several months ago, Contract Magazine delved into the topic of design for higher education environments. The mag stated that higher ed “has gone the way of modern office interiors. The traditional institutional aesthetic has been replaced with design-savvy environments… In other words, all the factors that correlate with how learning has changed globally.”
This trend was reflected in Fordham University’s new Gabelli School of Business, which selected Innovant to furnish the business school’s forty-seat trading room. Another Innovant example of higher ed going the way of modern office design is Osgoode Hall Law School’s Library at York University in Toronto.
When the school outgrew its home of forty years, it commissioned a major renovation to reorganize and expand its main complex. Access to the collections at the school’s library, the largest law library in the British Commonwealth, had been hindered by a decentralized layout across five floors and a lack of study space. The renovation successfully resolved these challenges and more, creating a LEED Silver certified state-of-art facility for this renowned law school.The new law library, consolidated into two floors, features a central reading room, independent and group study areas and a rare book room. Innovant’s FORm_office system was selected for its flexible, technology-ready design and contemporary aesthetic which integrate seamlessly with the architectural plans for the space. Project Architect Dan Klinck of Diamond Schmitt Architects notes that Innovant offered “a thoughtfully designed system that is both affordable and modifiable versus entirely custom.” Innovant partnered with the architects to modify the standard FORm_office design to accommodate specified power sources in the library’s main reading room. And in the rare book reading room, where a premium aesthetic conveys the special nature of the collection, a custom oak table top was commissioned for the FORm-office frame.
The system’s standard features such as durable construction that would withstand robust use, adjustable height tables, a comfort bumper at the table edges, as well as lighting options were all important factors to the school. The lighting fixtures were chosen to honor the Victorian heritage of the library’s founding in a contemporary way.The renovated Law Library at Osgoode Hall Law School has been a resounding success. After opening to students in September 2011, it quickly became the most popular library on the York University campus and remains a popular site for student study today.
To learn more about other Innovant installations, visit the Case Studies page on our website.
