Description

Durham College’s Centre for Food (CFF) represents the third phase of the Whitby campus project.
This new, 24,000 sq. ft. building at Durham College distinguishes itself in the highly competitive field of culinary and hospitality education by taking advantage of its setting on a large suburban campus in Whitby Ontario to narrate a story about the process of making a meal from “field to fork” and by bringing together culinary, hospitality, and horticulture programs in one location.

The CFF’s large site allows for the integration of significant agricultural lands with the building. The south side of the building features a ramped garden. It will be used as a pollinator garden for native birds, bees and butterflies. Native plants will be used to provide nectar, pollen, larval food and habitat. This design concept was intended to connect the agricultural fields with the second floor restaurant, Bistro ’67 - a new 70-seat, full-service, teaching-inspired learning restaurant, which is also a Green Restaurant Association (GRA)-certified facility.
The CFF also includes Pantry, a unique retail store that brings student-created goods straight from the culinary classroom to the community.

The sustainability story that is unfolding at the CFF is an evolutionary process. Durham College is encouraging sustainable practices among students, faculty and staff by creating a unique learning environment. This sustainable building and its surrounding grounds will serve as a good example of an innovative sustainability project for future years.

Sustainability Features of CFF
Living Wall- These indoor air biofilters are the only indoor use of green plants to be recognised by the LEED program as an innovative means of improving the indoor environment.

The CFF living wall is extensive and includes a range of foliage tropical plants, as well as the addition of an herb garden to service bistro ’67.

Food services

· Food containers used in classroom labs, Bistro ’67 and the Pantry are all eco-friendly, made from sugarcane – completely natural, unbleached, uncoated and compostable. Coffee cups and lids are compostable

· Food suppliers are mandated to choose 100% local food options wherever possible.

· All items processed for the pantry are made with local Ontario food items.

· Ontario berries are stored through quick freezing methods for use in the fall/winter labs.

· Food waste is composted on-site and/or collected and composted through a third party service provider

Features