ENWIN turns to local students in space redesign project

Students, faculty and staff from St. Clair College's Interior Design program present their design ideas to executives at ENWIN Utilities at their headquarters on April 16, 2025. (Source: Rich Garton/St. Clair College)

St. Clair College interior design students collaborated with ENWIN to redesign portions of ENWIN’s headquarters.

Tasked with reimagining the cafeteria, lounge, kitchen, a meeting area, and exterior patio, students had the chance to take their learning out of the classroom.

“Usually our faculty, which includes many industry professionals, bring the real world into the classroom.,” said John Byng, the Chair of the School of Engineering Technologies. “This kind of real-life experience is invaluable to students and is one of the things that helps us graduate students ‘job-ready’.”

Students initially began the project in January with a site visit. Following 10-weeks of work, six groups of students presented their concepts to ENWIN in mid-April.

“Designing spaces for an actual client allowed us as a class to get real-life experience of what we would expect in this industry,” said Lilly Bondy, a second-year Interior Design student, who said one challenge of the process was balancing creativity with functionality.

Students had to account for requirements offered by ENWIN, safety concerns, accessibility, and more.

“Overall, I feel I gained a lot of knowledge on what a real project for an actual client will be in the future,” Bondy added.

Elements from each of the concepts will be used by ENWIN to refresh their building.

“The students at St. Clair College have truly impressed us with their extraordinary talent and creativity,” said Garry Rossi, the CEO of ENWIN Utilities. “They delivered designs that were not only functional and budget-friendly but also innovative, incorporating organic elements, sustainable materials, and locally sourced furniture.”