University of Toronto Scarborough Campus – Student Residence

Project Description

The proposed design concept for a student residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) employs Passive House. The concept design for this student residence building has been sensitive to the existing campus context while at the same time contributing a distinctive presence.

Planned to be built on a site of what is now a surface parking lot, this proposed eight and ten-storey facility is adjacent to the intersection of Ellesmere Road and Military Trail. Employing an integrated design approach, this contemporary dormitory includes single and double occupancy bedrooms, a campus dining hall, mixed-use spaces for workshop style learning, retail spaces, wellness studio, lounges, student housing and residence life offices, hoteling offices and visiting scholar suites. The design further allows for the abundance of natural light throughout the interior spaces and creates an internal pedestrian street that runs through the building, showcasing its amenities and fostering collaborations.

In the U of T residence, heat will be generated by 750 students, 750 bar fridges, hundreds of hot showers each morning and a commercial kitchen cooking about 1,000 meals three times a day, along with hundreds of appliances like computers, hair dryers and laundry machines.

KMAI is the original PDC architect who designed the performance requirements for this building project to meet the Passive House standard.