Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design

Toronto, Canada

The University of Toronto has transformed one of the city’s landmark icons into the home of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.

Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design

Toronto, Canada

The University of Toronto has transformed one of the city’s landmark icons into the home of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.

Located on the southwest edge of the downtown University of Toronto campus, the 1874 historic Knox College building was renovated and expanded to suit the requirements of the faculty while retaining and respecting the building’s history and grandeur. The roof, windows, and walls were restored to their original state while enhancing the performance of the building to provide a comfort level matching today’s standards for occupants.

location

Toronto, Canada

Budget

$44 M

LEED Certification

Following LEED Standards, but not pursuing LEED certification

Size

10,000 m² (100,000 ft²)

The Architecture MasterPrize™ Educational Buildings

The Architecture MasterPrize™

William Greer Built Heritage Award

45th Annual Heritage Toronto Awards

Architect

NADAAA Inc (Design Architect); Adamson and Associates (Executive Architect); E.R.A. Architects Inc. (Heritage Architect)

Client

University of Toronto

Role

Building Envelope and Structural Engineering Consultant

The Architecture MasterPrize™ Green Architecture

The Architecture MasterPrize™

2019 AIA COTE Top 10 Awards

American Institute of Architects

Architectural Award of Excellence

Canadian Instituture of Steel Construction

Challenge

The university’s stringent schedule required a portion of the building to remain occupied during the demolition phase and the construction of the new addition.

Solution

Entuitive helped to orchestrate the work schedule so that the building envelope for the occupied area was not compromised during any phase of the project. The plan kept large portions of the budget from being spent on temporary construction.

Challenge

The structural work had to respect the interior and exterior fabric of the building, which is designated as historically significant. In addition, there was a requirement to bring natural light to the centre of the third-floor studio space.

Solution

A seamless collaboration with the Design Architect, Heritage Architect, and the Contractor to develop repair/restoration strategies that were economical, constructible, and minimized the impact on the building fabric. To address the introduction of natural light, a saw-tooth roof profile was designed to allow for the incorporation of skylights in the cantilevered steel trusses above the third-floor studio space. The use of natural daylight will realize energy savings that amount to 54% less emissions than would otherwise be needed.