Conestoga development projects have been nominated for Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA) Building Excellence Awards in five categories. The biennial awards honour the achievements of GVCA members who uphold the highest standards and best practices in construction projects with substantial completion between January 2023 and December 2024.
The Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus has been nominated for Grand Valley Construction Association Building Excellence Awards in two categories.
Phase one of the Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus in Cambridge, Ontario - home to Canada’s top trades school - was nominated in the restoration category and in the institutional category for projects over $20 million. This first phase of the campus focused on restoring a 322,000-square-foot industrial building to include shops and labs designed and equipped to meet the unique requirements of trades education and training. Phase two of the project is underway and, once complete, the campus will be one of Canada’s largest skilled trades training centres.
Also nominated are the Indigenous-inspired classrooms at the trades campus and the Kitchener - Doon campus. The thoughtful transformation of two standard classrooms created versatile, culturally significant learning spaces to accommodate both Indigenous studies and general student use while providing a fresh and engaging environment for academic and community activities.
Conestoga’s One Young location in downtown Kitchener is nominated in the $5 to $10-million category. The first new mass timber building in Waterloo Region, One Young Street has the character of a century brick and beam building with exposed wood and tall ceilings along with modern amenities.
New labs for the School of Health & Life Sciences have been nominated for projects valued between $10 to $20 million. This renovation transformed 17,000 square feet of the third floor of the Kitchener - Doon campus E Wing into state-of-the-art teaching and research labs that feature Biosafety Level 2 labs and support areas and advanced HVAC systems. The project also received recognition for innovation, design and functionality from several industry-leading organizations.
The GVCA will announce award winners at a gala event in Kitchener on March 21.
Over the last five years, Conestoga has invested more than $500 million in the communities it serves to ensure students have affordable housing and state-of-the-art facilities where they can develop the skills and knowledge today’s employers demand.
In addition to key investments in the trades campus and the biomedical and pharmaceutical labs and facilities, the college has completed major facilities upgrades in Guelph, Waterloo and Kitchener. Two new campuses opened in Milton last year and Conestoga will welcome students to its new campus in Stratford this September.