Every great place has a story, and Koto’s can be traced back to the days of Arthur Erickson. Set high on Burnaby Mountain, Koto is rooted in a design legacy that has shaped the university for generations. Today, it also stands as a new benchmark for SFU housing, blending Scandinavian warmth, a vibrant personality, and a fresh idea of what student living can be. Alongside its design story, Koto also offers the everyday ease SFU students need — with fully furnished, all-inclusive suites just a five-minute walk from Simon Fraser University, making life on the mountain simpler and more connected.
This is the story of how Koto came to life — its name, its inspiration, and the unique fusion of past and present that makes it feel like home.

A Mountain of Design History

Walk across Burnaby Mountain and you’ll see how SFU is unmistakably its own world. Designed in the mid-1960s by celebrated architect Arthur Erickson, the campus is known for its bold geometry, futuristic lines, and modernist presence. It’s hard to miss SFU’s signature concrete plazas, dramatic angles, and a certain space-age ambition that continues to define Simon Fraser University student housing and architecture today.

Koto embraces that legacy from the outside in. The building’s exterior is a nod to Erickson’s vision: confident, structured, and rooted in the rhythm of the mountain’s built environment. It feels connected to SFU’s architectural history, part of the same design thinking that shaped the campus decades before.

But step inside, and the story shifts. Koto introduces something softer, warmer, and deeply human. Designed by Ste Marie Studio, the interiors draw from Nordic sensibilities with clean lines, thoughtful layouts, and a focus on comfort and everyday joy.

A New Chapter in Student Living

The name “Koto” comes from an old Finnish word for “cozy,” and it shows in every detail. Powder-blue kitchens, soft oak finishes, and playful touches create a sense of sanctuary — not the temporary stopover many students have known, but a place you settle into, build a routine, and begin to create a life. This is student living reimagined, the kind of student housing Burnaby has been missing.

Every space is designed to feel lived-in, a place where you can naturally discover your community. Common areas and amenities support every kind of day: deep focus and deadlines, shared dinners, movie nights, group work, quiet evenings after long exam weeks. They’re lively when you want company and peaceful when you need your own space.

Powder-blue kitchens, soft oak finishes, and playful touches invite the feeling of home, not the temporary stopover many students have known, but a place you settle into, create a routine, and begin to build a life. Every space is designed to feel lived-in, a place where you can discover your community.

Where Design Meets Daily Student Life

The suites reflect that same balance. Private and shared layouts are flexible and fully furnished, equipped to carry you through the rhythm of classes, part-time jobs, study sessions, friends visiting, and the everyday moments that become lasting memories. For many students searching for SFU rental housing or apartments near Simon Fraser University, Koto offers a refined, elevated alternative that still feels warm and personal.

Koto is a bridge between SFU’s storied architectural heritage and a new spirit of student living that feels vibrant, colourful, and deeply human. The exterior speaks to Burnaby Mountain’s mid-century modernist DNA; the interior rewrites it with warmth, brightness, and Nordic simplicity.

In many ways, it reflects the journey of its residents, too. Student life isn’t just about passing through — it’s about discovery, connection, challenge, and change. At Koto, that place exists.

A home on the mountain, rooted in legacy but lived in your way.
Welcome to Koto. Your new chapter starts here.

Ready to become a resident? Koto is now leasing for September 2026 classes. Secure your fully furnished suite today, just a five-minute walk from campus.