UTM’s newest building sets a new standard for green wet lab design in North America, right here in Mississauga. The new science building, officially opening in fall 2024, is one of the most energy-efficient biological and chemical laboratory facilities in North America. It is designed to meet the University of Toronto’s more rigorous performance standards for new and renovated buildings and demonstrates the university’s commitment to sustainable design and building performance. This building is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification.
The new science building is a highly anticipated 21st century science research facility designed and built to advance several of UTM’s campus priorities for academic research, including:
- supporting the research and unique identities of distinct departments while encouraging interdisciplinary interactions,
- providing existing faculty and graduate students with state-of-the-art research infrastructure and support services, and
- reinvigorating programs and laboratories which have outgrown existing campus facilities
This building is home to several research-intensive programs, including the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry, who will make use of the new collaborative wet research labs and core facilities, University of Toronto's first wet lab incubator SpinUp, and the Forensic Science Program. The facility also is home to the high-performance computation Data Center and spaces for Facilities Management and Planning, both of which will support activity within the building and around campus.
The four-storey research facility includes a total area of 15,550 m2. To connect the existing science community with these new spaces, the new science building connects with the adjacent William G. Davis Building at the basement, and second floor.
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Building Features
The building is another step forward in the University of Toronto's ambitious long-term commitment to reduce its overall carbon footprint and achieve a climate-positive campus. Despite the high energy demands of a laboratory-intense building, the new science building has an extremely low carbon footprint. This has been achieved through a number of best-in-class sustainable energy systems in the new facility:
Geothermal Field
The building is heated and cooled by a geothermal system with 178 bore holes, each drilled at approximately 320 feet deep. The bore holes are fitted with pipes and heat transfer solution, allowing for heat to be drawn from the building in summer and stored in the ground; the heat is then returned to the building in cooler seasons.
Solar Photovoltaic Array
The rooftop solar photovoltaic array provides capacity of up to 70kW of electricity to the building, the equivalent of powering 200 computers or 2,800 light fixtures.
Energy-reducing HVAC
A high-efficiency HVAC system includes modular heat-recovery pumps, ultra-low velocity fume hoods, and demand-control ventilation.
Rainwater Harvesting System
Water used for flushing toilets is collected from the entire building roof to a 38,000 L (10,000 gal) underground tank. The day tank has UV and filtration measures for disinfection purposes.
Daylight Harvesting
Beautiful light wells throughout the building bring natural light into labs and collaboration spaces alike, reducing the need for electrical lighting.
Heat Island reduction and Green Roof
Bio-retention cells will handle stormwater runoff onsite, while native planting and landscaping restores the building site's ecological integrity. To provide a cooling effect for the building and nearby environment, the building's green roof joins UTM's eight existing green roofs, bringing the total to nine.