NEW BUILD SPOTLIGHT: ENDAAYAAN – TKANÓNSOTE

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

Queen's University opened a new five-story, 334-bed residence building in September 2022, named Endaayaan – Tkanónsote pronounced: (End-ah-yawn – t-gaw-noon-soday), Indigenous words for home, reflecting the building's purpose and function as a home at a unique time in student lives, as they meet new people, and grow and thrive as individuals and new members of the Queen's community.

The structure and approach to the name in the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway) and Kanyen'kéha (Mohawk) languages acknowledge the traditional territory, lands, history, and significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived and continue to live upon it. The name selection is the first Indigenousnamed building at Queen's

"This naming reflects our collective commitment to advancing decolonization and reconciliation, specifically, a more inclusive approach to naming residences As we work toward building a more inclusive community, our buildings and spaces must reflect the diverse cultures and histories of our students, staff and faculty."

Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor.

Endaayaan – Tkanónsote's sustainable design sets a high bar for energy efficiency and cultural inclusion with modern amenities to attract students, including physical and accessible spaces that seek to enhance students' sense of belonging in their new home away from home.

Sustainable Design

The building integrated two of the original five houses and preserved existing boulevard trees from the site into its design, maintaining the look and feel of the surrounding community targeted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, contributing to the University's overall sustainability efforts. The project represents a significant investment into sustainable student housing capacity in Kingston. As Queen's retrofits and renovates older student residences, facilities look to minimize environmental impacts and meet sustainability targets.

WELCOMING & INCLUSIVE

The carpet-free residence features a mixture of single-plus rooms, several private and semi-private fully accessible OCB suites, shared study rooms on each floor, a board/community room, laundry facilities, and kitchenettes Nap pods, a prayer room with two ablution stations, a yoga and meditation space, a service animal washing station, indoor bicycle storage, and wheelchair-accessible entrances are a few unique elements of Endaayaan – Tkanónsote

The courtyard's gathering space, designed by local artist Tehanenia'kwè:tarons (David R. Maracle) to nurture the good minds and open hearts of the campus community, features Indigenous symbols and teachings, including a turtle's shell signifying Mother Earth, and a Two Row Wampum belt incorporated into long bench seating, which represents the treaty agreement of 1613 between Haudenosaunee people and Dutch Settlers in the region.

Empowering students, staff, and faculty to celebrate and embrace varying cultures and backgrounds creates inclusivity for all community members to thrive. In the coming months, Queen's will share educational dialogue around the meaning and pronunciation of the building, the unique cultural elements, and the sustainable highlights of Endaayaan – Tkanónsote through residence signage, social media, website messaging, and the installation of a multilanguage "Welcome Wall" graphic welcoming guests at the residence front desk

Summer Accomodations

Endaayaan – Tkanónsote's is available for booking summer accommodations hosting youth groups, summer students, sports teams, corporate clients, international conference delegates, and visitors to Kingston Summer Accommodations | Queen's Event Services