The NIA Centre for the Arts is an arts focused community centre specifically dedicated to the African Canadian community. They hold art courses, gallery shows, lectures, and performances. The project takes place in Little Jamaica in Toronto. The neighbourhood is mainly residential and low-rise. At the beginning of the year, we investigated 5 different sites in the neighbourhood. The chosen site at the intersection of Oakwood Ave and Vaughan Rd has very clear and long views and has proximity to educational buildings. The site is also known as the ‘5 points’ due to its location at the convergence of several roads in the area. The Little Jamaica neighbourhood is becoming gentrified however there are many murals all over the neighbourhood which solidify the arts as a unifying factor in the culture, which makes an arts focused building more important to the community.

The building is split into three public portions on the site and each has a kind of destination pertaining to the uses of the building. In the middle it is outdoors while on either side there are indoor paths parallel. This configuration on the site connects the public outdoor spaces to the public indoor spaces and organizes the program and activities. The two forms wrap around the public space in this way. The design pulls back from the front of the site and angles inward to draw the public in and lead people to the outdoor destination which becomes connected to the indoor activities.