An intricate renovation and addition project at the heart of Seneca College’s Newnham Campus converted a cafeteria and small food court into a dining hall and central gathering space, doubling the size of the existing complex.

The campus is defined by a series of buildings, connected by a common corridor originally terminated at the traditional student cafeteria. The corridor was redirected through the old cafeteria to create a pedestrian street lined with food stations, a variety of seating options, and flexible public gathering spaces that can be used for art shows, buskers, and art exhibits.

The 3252 m² (35,000 sf) project includes a 557 m² (6000 sf) multi-purpose dining hall addition which defines and offers views of a new landscaped quad and features a south-facing covered outdoor terrace. The new dining hall is equipped with two large projection screens, motorized blinds, full AV media capability, and a large-format LED screen—a scale of amenities not offered elsewhere on the campus.

The new food hall offers students a wide selection of healthy food options from five large food stations, and a freestanding market selling fruits, vegetables, fresh and frozen food options, and more. The stations include new state-of-the-art kitchen equipment designed to respond to changing food tastes over time, without the need to make further major equipment changes. New electronic stations offer students a variety of ways to order and pay for their food selections.