If innovation is your forte and you want to leave your mark on the Ryerson community, the Make Your Space Challenge may be your calling.
Ryerson’s partnership with MPI Group Inc. presents students with an opportunity to design a “makerspace” in the planned Jarvis Street Residence that is expected to open in 2018.
A makerspace is an area in which students can express their creative side and possibly invent, create or explore topics using the tools within it. They allow for self-directed learning as well as collaborative experimentation. Other Ryerson makerspaces have included 3D printers, virtual reality simulators, and other emerging technology.
The challenge is part of the effort to promote community-building and collaboration within Ryerson residences, meeting one part of the university’s plan to include more creative and innovative spaces.
“As it is a student residence building, it’s important to get students engaged and to hear from and to work with them throughout the process,” said Ryerson spokesman Michael Forbes.
Students can create their own teams consisting of two to five members. Organizers say the teams will ideally come from different faculties. If students register alone, they will be randomly assigned to one. The competition is open to any Ryerson student.
The teams will have control over their projects and will have access to advisors and experts throughout the planning process. The winning team will receive a cash reward of $2,000 and mentorship opportunity from an advisory group from the university and MPI.
The Ryerson School of Interior Design and the Capital Projects and Real Estate department are also involved in the challenge.
MPI, the contest sponsor and developer, will decide the winning proposal.
The planned Jarvis Street Residence will be the first Ryerson student housing facility that features an apartment-style layout equipped with its own fitness room and yoga studio, along with other amenities.
The MPI Group will build and own the residence and Ryerson will provide administration services and residence life programs as a tenant. The architecture firm responsible for the new residence is IBI Group Architects.
A launch session for the competition will be held Thursday Nov. 19 at the Digital Media Experience Lab in the Student Learning Centre.
The deadline for team registration is Nov. 26.