Bachelor of Interior Design (BID) student Taylor Wintle was awarded top honour at Conestoga’s annual Tech Showcase, held August 13 at the Cambridge campus.
Bachelor of Interior Design student Taylor Wintle was awarded top honour at Tech Showcase for her fully developed design solution, The Elora Clubhouse: First Responder Recwell Centre.
The annual showcase features best of program, final-year projects from the Schools of Engineering & Technology and Applied Computer Science & Information Technology. Wintle will be presented with the college’s Mastercraft Award at fall convocation for her fully developed design solution, The Elora Clubhouse: First Responder Recwell Centre.
Designed over an eight-month period, The Elora Clubhouse is a mental and physical rehabilitation centre for Canadian first responders, built for in-the-moment, drop-in and residency needs.
“The goal of the clubhouse is to provide a safe, secure and comfortable location for first responders to seek mental and physical health-care treatment,” Wintle explained. “It’s a social epicentre for first responders, as well as the public, as a first step in recovery and reintegration.”
Wintle’s design solution includes private and interactive spaces in combination with biophilic design -- the concept of increasing occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of nature and space and place conditions. The building features a theoretical app that would be designed for both first responders and staff to handle tasks like unlocking doors and booking appointments, as well as act as a wayfinding device using sight, sound or vibration to guide users to their destination.
“The desired result is for first responders to gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, as well as feel comfortable reconnecting with loved ones and society as a whole,” said Wintle. “Bringing the community and social function together will help break down the negative stigmas around mental health.”
Judges were impressed with Wintle’s innovative concept and the level of detail in her design and documents.
Other projects presented at Tech Showcase included a bottle filling and caddy assembly cell by students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology - Robotics and Automation program, an augmented reality RC car game from Bachelor of Engineering - Electronic Systems Engineering students, and a restaurant app to support Conestoga’s Bloom by students in the Mobile Solutions Development program.
“Being selected as the overall best project is an incredible milestone to reach upon completion of my bachelor’s degree,” said Wintle. “I am both excited and honoured to receive the Mastercraft Award as well as represent the capabilities and passion of the students in the interior design program at a college-wide level.”
Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, Conestoga’s BID program provides students with the theoretical, practical and technical skills required for practice in the field. Through a comprehensive curriculum delivered by an interdisciplinary faculty, the program prepares students to apply an integrated approach to interior design solutions for the built environment and its occupants and to meet the technological changes and currency relating to sustainability, universal design, and health and safety.
Conestoga’s Mastercraft Award, which recognizes excellence in program-related skills, was established in 1980 by former Conestoga president Kenneth E. Hunter and includes a Coat of Arms and a cash award of $1,000.