National Observer: U of T schools the world by cutting emissions in half
By Abdul Matin Sarfraz | News, Climate Solutions Reporting | March 27th 2024 Pioneering heat pump research by a University of Toronto professor in 1940 is now paving the way for a retrofit that will dramatically reduce emissions at the school’s historic downtown campus. Thanks, in part, to the groundbreaking technology discovered by Prof. Frank Hooper, the university plans to start overhauling heating and cooling systems at its 200-year-old St. George campus this summer. Called Project Leap, it is believed to be the largest sustainability effort in the higher education sector in Canada, said Ron Saporta, U of T’s chief operating officer of property services and sustainability. “We want to [...]
UofT News: Founded by sibling team, U of T startup partners with university to sell apparel
Clothing brand MOTUS, co-founded by two U of T students and their younger sister, is collaborating with the university on a capsule collection Along with younger sister and creative partner Calille, left, Malik and Sydnie Pottinger worked with U of T's Trademark Licensing Office to create a capsule collection for their clothing brand MOTUS (photo by Varenya Danthurthy) Read more about this exciting collaboration between the Pottingers and our Trademark Licensing Office here.
Celebrating 197 years: Four ways F&S preserves campus charm
From a 111-year-old organ to a thriving tree population, F&S preserves the unique charm of U of T's St. George campus. Here are four ways we do it.
Annual Deferred Maintenance Report
The annual deferred maintenance report is now available. Over the last year, the deferred maintenance backlog climbed by 23% to $1.2B. The University is approaching a period of necessary renewals as many of our building systems approach their end of useful life. Read more
UofT News: ‘A win for students’: U of T acquires 20 per cent of privately owned CampusOne residence
The deal enables U of T to place students directly in CampusOne and offer them residence programming and supports. (photo by Lisa Logan Photography) Published: February 7, 2024 By Rahul Kalvapalle In a deal that immediately adds as many as 890 beds to the university’s student housing stock, the University of Toronto has purchased a 20 per cent stake in the privately owned CampusOne residence located adjacent to the St. George campus. Read more here.
U of T News: U of T to cut carbon emissions in half on St. George campus by 2027
Project Leap, a public-private project, is believed to be the largest sustainability effort in the higher education sector (photo by David Lee) Published: February 2, 2024 By Rahul Kalvapalle The University of Toronto is accelerating efforts to decarbonize its St. George campus through a massive, $138-million infrastructure project that will cut emissions in half within three years. Project Leap will begin phasing out natural gas in favour of electricity in the campus’s central steam plant and carry out deep energy retrofits to some of the most energy-intensive buildings. Read more here.
U of T constructing Canada’s tallest academic timber building
The University of Toronto has begun raising a new 14-storey mass timber building that will set a precedent for sustainable design.
Four New Members Join the University’s Real Estate Advisory Committee
The University of Toronto is addressing a critical need for on-campus housing, innovation space and other services with its double bottom line 4 Corners (4C) Strategy, a plan that creates a future source of revenue to help fund U of T’s academic mission – and contributes to the vitality of the city’s urban fabric. The approach is laid out in a policy framework dubbed the “four corners strategy” which is meant to guide the university’s thinking as it goes about building new, high quality, non-academic amenities and services on the periphery of U of T’s downtown Toronto campus, as well as at [...]
Marc Couture wins 2024 Clean16 Award
Marc Couture, director, sustainability and energy management, at the University of Toronto’s Sustainability Office, is one of Canada’s Clean16 Award recipients and a Clean50 honouree. For more than a decade, the Clean50 Awards have recognized 50 Canadian sustainability leaders who facilitate understanding, collaboration and innovation in the fight to limit global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. The leader in each category receives the Clean16 award. Last year, U of T's Ron Saporta was recognized with the award. Couture was recognized for his leadership in developing the climate positive campus strategy for the St. George campus and implementing a tri-campus sustainability performance standard. You can read [...]
UofT News: ‘Welcome home’: U of T’s on-campus housing offers more than a place to live
Zupaash Naveed arrived at University of Toronto just a few weeks ago, but she already feels right at home. The first-year computer science co-op student is part of the first cohort to live at Harmony Commons, a new, 746-bed student residence at U of T Scarborough that opened at the beginning of September. Read more here.