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With the perpetual growth of the student body in the science faculties at the University of Toronto, as well as the evolving nature of the study of sciences, UofT’s various science departments have been taking turns navigating the limitations of their aging facilities. A new proposal at the University, however, is sure to cause a positive reaction in the chemistry department, with plans submitted to the City to build an extension on the site of the faculty’s Lash Miller Building.
Located on St George Street in the heart of UofT’s Downtown campus, the extension of the Lash Miller Building would see the construction of a new 4-storey volume delivering a combination of lab spaces and classrooms for the department to explore new research initiatives. With a discreet contemporary design from Toronto's Cumulus Architects in association with Danish architects Mikkelsen Arkitekter, the extension would occupy the existing footprint of the single-storey concrete volume at the northeast corner of the building, and redevelop it to create an additional 2,933m² of gross floor area (GFA) for faculty uses.
Encompassed in the proposal are plans for three new levels of programmable lab and classroom space, extensive mechanical infrastructure on the roof, renovations in the existing basement level, and a modernization of the existing ground level space with a focus on reimagining the building’s entrances.
The most notable additions to the building come in the form of multiple lab spaces each designed for specific fields of study. From the top down, the architectural drawings detail plans for a small molecules lab, a polymers lab, and three smaller spaces for an inorganics lab, a formulation composite lab, and a synthetic chemistry lab. At grade, the plans have programmed an auditorium and overflow space, as well as entrances from St George and Willcocks streets.
From the exterior, the extension's most prominent elevation will be to the north, fronting Willcocks Street, while the overall building’s primary elevation remains on the east, fronting St George. Looking at the detailed elevation drawings, we can build a more complete picture of the materiality of the extension, and how it will relate to the existing building.
The building is to be clad with curtainwall glazing, with the window panels designed to span from floor to ceiling for each of the four levels. A number of opaque curtainwall panels are added as design details, breaking up the continuous glass motif with vertical bands of non-transparent glass; their positioning doesn’t appear to follow a pattern. At grade level, the existing concrete walls of the single-storey concrete wing are to be reinstated on both the north and east elevations, with their iconic alchemy symbols reinstated as well. Finally, the mechanical equipment on the roof is to be concealed with panels of perforated aluminium.
The extension represents the second update to the original Lash Miller Building, originally completed in 1963. The Davenport Wing was added on the south end in 2000, creating new research spaces for the expanding faculty, and now over two decades later, the same demand is driving the need for this second extension.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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