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Quadrangle’s design for the ONroute Service Centres looks to ensure a positive and uplifting experience for the public travelling in and through the province of Ontario along Highways 400 and 401. The centres are accessible, convenient, welcoming and safe. They have introduced a consistent and clearly identifiable image for the Highway Service Centres throughout the province.
The designs for all three sizes of highway service centres are of the same 'family', incorporating three distinctive and readily recognisable components: a glass atrium with sloped glass walls covered by a sloped metal roof; traditional indigenous stone walls that anchor the buildings to the ground; and wood trellises and canopies.
The glass atrium acts as the visual focus for the centres from both the exterior and interior, allowing for natural light to infuse both the customer seating areas and the interior areas of the structures, resulting in less artificial lighting used during the day. At night, the light of the atrium becomes a beacon for travellers.
The first seven completed Centres are LEED® Silver Certified. All 20 Centres feature several sustainable elements and comply with current accessibility guidelines, enhancing the experience of persons with disabilities in the use and enjoyment of the facilities. These include energy-efficient artificial lighting; local materials and products; fully accessible entrances, including gently rising curb ramps; and visual and textural variations in pattern to alert visitors to changes in surface.
The centres were designed with a 50 year life-span in mind, thereby making them functional now and adaptable to the needs of travellers in the future. The Centre located in Tilbury has been recognised with the 2012 Dr. Veronica Vaughan Most Accessible Business Award.