May 11, 2020

New Science Building Will Be an Exemplar of Efficiency

University of Toronto Mississauga's new Science Building. Rendering by KieranTimberlake

University of Toronto Magazine recently published an article highlighting the school's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, including a new science building designed by KieranTimberlake. Located on the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus, the building will offer cutting-edge laboratory, support, and office space for wet research sciences as well as a headquarters for several key departments. The labs were planned in concert with UTM researchers and are designed to maximize collaboration and sharing of specialized equipment.  
 
The new science building is part of an ambitious long-term commitment to cut the university's carbon footprint to 37 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030. Numerous features of the design reduce consumption in a laboratory building that would traditionally be highly energy intensive, including ultra-low velocity fume hoods in the labs, heat recovery systems, and demand control ventilation. A ground-source heat pump field located under the building, and a rooftop photovoltaic array allow building systems to run almost entirely on electricity.  
 
The final design performs more than 50% better than ASHRAE 90.1 - 2013 energy targets, placing it among the most energy efficient lab buildings of its kind in North America.  
 
Read more about the new science building and University of Toronto's path to a low-carbon future.