TORONTO, ON
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
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.
The expansion was meant 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.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
CLIENT
University of Toronto
ARCHITECT
NADAAA Inc. (Design Architect);
Adamson and Associates (Executive Architect);
E.R.A. Architects Inc. (Heritage Architect)
OUR ROLE(S)
Building Envelope & Structural Engineering Consultant
SIZE
10,000 m² (100,000 ft²)
BUDGET
$44 M
MARKET (OFFICE)
TORONTO
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Challenge One
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 One
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 Two
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 Two
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.
GALLERY
