The metamorphosis of Oliver鈥檚
Upgrade or renovation are words that do not do justice to the complete metamorphosis of student space Oliver鈥檚 on the second floor of Dawson in the 2C clubs hallway.
鈥淚t is night and day,鈥� said Stephanie Chan-Thim, Dawson鈥檚 in-house architect on our Facilities Management team and project manager of the Oliver鈥檚 renovation.
Prior to the work, which was carried out from August to December 2021, Oliver鈥檚 felt like the basement of a 1970s-era home. It was dark, wood-paneled, outdated and uninviting.
Spacious and welcoming
Oliver鈥檚 is now open, light and welcoming. It features modular furniture that can be easily moved and reconfigured for different uses of the space. Its new high ceilings with exposed ducts make the room feel more spacious and open.
鈥淩aising the ceiling led to us adopting an industrial style for the room, which features large glass sliding doors and a polished concrete floor,鈥� Stephanie said. A touch of Nature was injected with the hanging of living moss artwork on the wall.
In 2020, the Campus Life and Leadership team of Student Services was consulted about student needs. Prior to moving forward with construction work, the architect鈥檚 design was presented to the CLL team.
Oliver鈥檚 before renovations in late 2021.
A space to meet, eat, play and work
鈥淪tudent Services told us they wished Oliver鈥檚 to be a neutral space where students can eat, meet, play and work,鈥� Stephanie said. 鈥淭hey also wanted it to be accessible and accommodating for a diversity of people.鈥�
A new stage has been purchased, which will allow the space to be used for performances and other events.
鈥淎s we renovate the College, we want to bring a younger, more modern look that our students appreciate. I am so happy with the final result and it seems like the students are enjoying the new Oliver鈥檚,鈥� Stephanie said.
Oliver鈥檚 opened up to students in December just before the Holiday break and has been a beautiful spot for students to hang out at the beginning of the Winter 2022 semester.
