U of T Scarborough’s new health care building to feature ‘fissure in boulder’ design

by arslan_ahmed | November 15, 2023 3:12 pm

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The new design for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough (UTSC) campus includes a dynamic five-storey atrium, inspired by a “fissure in a boulder,” revealing internal activity and creating a central pedestrian artery,

Meanwhile, the atrium will also provide unobstructed views to the exterior and bring in more natural light into the interior.

This atrium, acting as the building’s “beating heart,” connects the academy with the public and provides collaborative learning spaces for students and faculty. Collaboratively designed by Diamond Schmitt and MVRDV, with construction managed by EllisDon, SAMIH is strategically positioned at the intersection of Morningside Avenue and Military Trail.

The design prioritizes communal spaces, creating a welcoming plaza on the chamfered western corner and transparent ground-floor facades to invite people in. The atrium divides the building, housing offices, and classrooms on the western side and labs on the east, connected by walkways. A mix of warm wood tones characterizes the atrium, while the building’s exterior employs cool greys with building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), contributing to both esthetics and energy generation.

The building’s structure, based on a 9.6-m (31.5-ft) steel grid, enhances flexibility and sustainability, allowing for easy updates to the lab spaces with minimal material waste and embodied carbon.

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SAMIH integrates with Toronto’s ravine system, incorporating greenery along Morningside Avenue with a focus on native plants and Indigenous planting strategies. This approach aligns with Diamond Schmitt and MVRDV’s commitment to equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion, as demonstrated in their previous collaboration on the James and Louise Temerty Building at the St. George campus.

“The programme of SAMIH was an inspiring starting point for a design,” says MVRDV founding partner Nathalie de Vries. “A university building that also serves as a much-needed facility for the local community deserved a building that would celebrate and display that mixture—and that’s what we hope to do with this atrium, creating visual and physical connections between all the different parts of the building to give insights into everything that is happening here.”

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/u-of-t-scarboroughs-new-health-care-building-to-feature-fissure-in-boulder-design/

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