Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design
Product development, interaction design, service design, emerging technology and strategic foresight.
The New Roots Project
Sherway Gardens had almost no reason to visit that wasn’t retail. Four courts, planted by region, give newcomers one.
Walkthrough of the court experience
Research
We visited on a Friday in September, during work and school hours.
Inside: minimal seating outside the food court, almost no non-retail space, and large open areas sitting unused. The centre court had no sense of invitation. Outside: inset entrances that are hard to find, poor signage, no green space, few bike racks, undeveloped transit.
The mall is built for commuters off the 427 and the Gardiner. Over the next fifteen years, condo development shifts it toward residents inside a fifteen-minute city — people who need a reason to walk there.
82%want more culture inside the mall environment
100%interested in more Canadian themes in Canadian malls
- “I felt like a passenger walking by. Nothing about the mall said welcome, we want you here.”
- “I don’t know what it means to be Canadian. There is nowhere I can go and learn about culturally significant things.”
- “The mall does not give an alibi to go there.”
Direction
Three ways in. We killed two of them on purpose.
Environment
How might the mall be designed to connect new Canadians to their new home through inclusive third spaces?
Limited on its own — kept as the supporting layer.
Community
How might we foster a sense of community that helps new Canadians connect with others across Canada?
Strong, but not feasible at this scale. Dropped.
Culture
How might we make new Canadians feel at home through third spaces that prioritise Canadian multicultural heritage?
Chosen, with environment carrying it.
Physical space
Four courts, four regions. Nothing repeats.
Each court is planted as one Canadian region and seated in the wood from that region — parametric, digitally fabricated, non-toxic finish. Same detail, four material stories, so a visitor crossing the mall passes through four places rather than one repeated one.
Woodland Serenity
- Wood
- Yellow Cedar
- Tree
- White Pine
- Shrub
- Sweet Fern
- Grass
- Canada Wild Rye
- Flower
- Columbine
Prairie Glow
- Wood
- Douglas Fir
- Tree
- Paper Birch
- Shrub
- Red Osier Dogwood
- Grass
- Switchgrass
- Flower
- Wild Bergamot
Wetland Oasis
- Wood
- Western Red Cedar
- Tree
- Black Spruce
- Shrub
- Buttonbush
- Grass
- Northern Sea Oats
- Flower
- Blue Flag Iris
Pollinator Haven
- Wood
- Canadian Maple
- Tree
- Red Maple
- Shrub
- Ninebark
- Grass
- Little Bluestem
- Flower
- Black-Eyed Susan
Digital space
Seven levels of involvement. Level zero is walking past, and that’s allowed.
AR sits on top of the space rather than replacing it. Scan the QR on a planter and the species around you are named, placed in their region, and narrated by an avatar; ignore it entirely and the court is still a bench under a tree.
The last level is the one people remember: you can leave a comment in the space for whoever sits there next. Moderated, family-friendly, and the only part of the system where visitors write the content.
Rollout
Costed and phased, so it could actually be signed off.
- Phase 0Content and system setupMonths 1–3
- Phase 1Pilot testing and refinementMonths 4–5
- Phase 2Moderation and seasonal planningMonths 6–8
- Phase 3Public launch and outreachMonth 9
- Phase 4Monitoring and optimisationMonths 10–12
- Phase 5Maintenance and expansionBeyond year 1
$50–80kAR platform
$20–40kPhysical upgrades
$10–15kStaff training
$10–20kMarketing
$90–155kTotal, year one