Since being announced in 2013 and starting construction the following year, work on the U of T's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design continues to make headway at 1 Spadina Crescent, just north of Toronto's College and Spadina intersection. Named in recognition of a $24 million donation from John H. Daniels and Myrna Daniels, the project is restoring the former 1875-built Knox College building and constructing a three-storey, 100,000 square foot addition on the north side of the building.

View north towards the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, image by Stefan Novakovic

Designed by Nader Tehrani of Boston-based architecture firm NADAAA, the angular new addition is mostly hidden from the south by the restored 19th century Gothic Revival landmark which looks down Spadina Avenue toward the age. Its restoration and modernization work is being overseen by heritage specialists ERA Architects. 

Former Knox College building at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, image by Stefan Novakovic

The addition is rising on the footprint of a series of earlier piecemeal additions that did not mesh with the historic character of the old Know College building. Some were simply sheds which lacked windows entirely. Following their demolition between 2014 and 2015, construction work commenced on this addition which is set to contain a spacious lecture hall, a public gallery, collaborative studio spaces, and an advanced fabrication lab.

New addition on the north side of the former Knox College building, image by Stefan Novakovic

Installation of structural steel is now nearing completion on the addition, revealing the structure's uniquely angular form. The first two levels of the new structure have been built with poured reinforced concrete, while the third floor has been built using both concrete and structural steel. Concrete has been used to form floors, walls, and columns, while structural steel has been used for the angular roof structure above.

New addition on the north side of the former Knox College building, image by Stefan Novakovic

The installation of curtain wall glazing recently commenced on the ground level of addition's north facade, giving us our first glimpse (above) of the finishing materials for the new facility. Cladding installation has also started on the east and west wings of the addition. These sections will feature narrow vertical strips of glazing—the first panes of which are now visible on the west wing (below)—while the yellow insulation panels in between will eventually be covered up by masonry.

West wing of the addition, image by Stefan Novakovic

Over at the east wing, framing and insulation are currently being installed in advance of cladding installation.

East wing of the addition, image by Stefan Novakovic

The restoration of the heritage landmark and addition of what may become a modern one is to be complemented by landscape design by Public Work. The iron fence that currently surround the site will be removed and replaced with woonerf-style paving, opening up the site to its surroundings to foster an inviting feel and better pedestrian access.

Rendering of the facility, image courtesy of U of T

Additional information and renderings of the project can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.