‘A win for everyone’: U of T receives green light to proceed with Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities
Per UofT News (September 7, 2021): A fifth-floor recital hall in the proposed Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities building at 90 Queen's Park will include stunning views of the downtown skyline (Images courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with architects-Alliance) The University of Toronto is welcoming the outcome of a formal mediation process led by the Ontario Land Tribunal that has resulted in the approval of a revised rezoning envelope for the new Centre for Civilizations, Cultures & Cities (CCC) building located at 90 Queen’s Park on the St. George campus. Read more here.
UofT featured in CBC story on ventilation improvements in the face of COVID
Ron Saporta, COO of Facilities and Services, St. George, was interviewed by the CBC (article posted here) on the topic of ventilation and the steps that UofT has taken to prepare for a return to campus by students as well as many faculty and staff. Watch the video and/or read the transcript of the interview here.
U of T laneway, infill homes win 2021 Canadian Green Building Award
Photo by Lisa Lightbourn A University of Toronto pilot project introducing three unique homes to the St. George campus – including two in a laneway near Robarts Library – has received a 2021 Canadian Green Building Award. Read more here.
UofT News: UofT assesses, upgrades classroom ventilation as it plans for in-person learning this fall
An air purification unit equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is installed in Sidney Smith Hall (photo by Johnny Guatto) The University of Toronto is assessing the ventilation in its classrooms and making upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment where necessary to ensure a high standard of safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
St. George campus’s ambitious plan to go “carbon negative” by 2050 is featured in the UofT Magazine
...and you can read more here.
University of Toronto named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers
For the eighth consecutive year the University of Toronto has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. The designation recognizes employers who develop exceptional sustainability initiatives that reduce their environmental footprint and create a culture of environmental awareness that empowers employees to contribute – and is attractive to prospective clients. Read more here.
2021 OREP Staff Achievement Awards Program launches!
The Vice-President Operations & Real Estate Partnerships (OREP) has established the annual Staff Achievement Awards Program in order to recognize exceptional staff contributions to the success of their particular unit, the Operations & Real Estate Partnerships portfolio and the University. The program provides Operations & Real Estate Partnerships with an opportunity to thank staff for the valuable work performed throughout the year. Depending on our restrictions at the time, the awards will either be presented at the Than-Q BBQs on August 24 and 25, 2021 and/or virtually on those dates. Outstanding Individual Employee Award Presented to an individual staff [...]
UofT’s Laneway Housing project has been awarded a 2021 Canadian Green Building Award
(Photo: BSN Architects) UofT's Laneway Housing Project has been recognized by a 2021 Canadian Green Building Award! This major achievement is bestowed on only ten projects nationally for all project categories and sizes. A key aspect of this recognition is rooted in the neighbourhood’s visionary planning framework, as well as its high environmental achievement, one of U of T’s first Net-Zero Carbon and Energy project. Winners submissions will be featured in a special awards issue of SABMag following an awards event in early June, so stay tuned!
‘Beautifully designed and beautifully built’: U of T unveils new laneway, infill housing
Two new laneway houses on the St. George campus were designed to animate a quiet alley near Robarts Library, providing a model for future residential development in a city where space is at a premium (photo by Lisa Lightbourn) Read more at UofT News.
Indigenous Landscape design draws on community input, consultations
Knowledge House, a central feature of U of T's Indigenous Landscape project, is a gathering space supported by 13 columns that symbolize the 13 moons of the year (rendering by Brook McIlroy and Mat Winter) The design proposal for a prominent Indigenous space at the heart of the University of Toronto’s St. George campus reveals a place that celebrates Indigenous culture, fosters community and educates visitors about the history of the land and the Indigenous nations who have lived and gathered there for millennia. Read more at UofT News and in a related story at BlogTO.