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Further design details have been released for the Temerty Building at the University of Toronto’s St George campus, offering a more detailed look at the project first covered by UrbanToronto in February, 2026. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in collaboration with Dutch-based MVRDV and Indigenous-owned Two Row Architect, the development would replace the aging west wing of the Medical Sciences Building with a 37,000m² academic and research facility on the south side of King’s College Circle.
Positioned directly opposite Convocation Hall, the site is within the ceremonial heart of the university’s Front Campus. The redevelopment is part of a strategy to modernize aging academic infrastructure by replacing mid-century laboratory space that no longer meets current research demands. The new building would maintain a physical and functional connection to the retained portions of the Medical Sciences Building.
The architectural approach reflects a careful calibration between contemporary expression and acknowledgment of the historic character of most Front Campus buildings, resulting in a more restrained design than is often associated with MVRDV work. Rather than pursuing a highly daring form, the building’s massing nevertheless is highly sculpted, stepping down gradually toward King’s College Circle to complement the scale of adjacent heritage structures through shared datum lines. A facade marked by curved corners and rhythmic framing elements draws inspiration from Convocation Hall's colonnade, with stone-clad mullions extending the campus's material language into a contemporary framework.
“The Temerty Building’s design is about bridging worlds,” said Diamond Schmitt Principal Don Schmitt. “It prioritizes functionality and durability but also ensures the building will be warm and inviting. Its lower floors form a crossroads for the wider university community and opens to the surrounding landscape for the first time in 50 years. The building will support deep focus, as well as foster greater connection, with an emphasis on spatial clarity and natural light, while fitting seamlessly into the iconic context of King’s College Circle.”
Indigenous design principles play a central role, guided by Two Row Architect in collaboration with an Indigenous Advisory Circle. The design draws on the concept of Mino-bimaadiziwin, embedding cultural knowledge into spatial organization, material expression, and landscape strategies. Terraced massing gestures toward regional landforms such as the Niagara Escarpment and the historic Lake Iroquois shoreline, while green roofs and planted areas would incorporate species associated with the four sacred medicines of cedar, sage, sweetgrass, and tobacco.
“We are designing with the land, not on it, guided by the original laws and teachings that shape how we live and care for one another,” said Two Row Architect’s Erik Skouris.
At grade, the project would reshape the edge of Front Campus by extending the surrounding landscape into the site through a network of informal pathways inspired by the historic course of Taddle Creek. These routes would organize pedestrian movement across the block, drawing people toward primary entrances while framing views through diverse and Indigenous plantings.
The primary west entrance would lead into a double-height atrium acting as a central gathering space for the wider university community. The atrium is to support both informal daily use and larger institutional events, extending activity from King’s College Circle into the building interior. Extensive glazing would draw daylight deep into the space while maintaining visual connections to the surrounding campus, complemented by wood finishes.
“Not only does the design provide excellent research and learning facilities, it offers generous and stimulating communal spaces for people to forge connections and exchange ideas — creating the productive friction that characterizes many of the best research institutes,” said Nathalie de Vries, founding partner at MVRDV. “While thoughtfully integrating with the rest of the Medical Sciences Building, the Temerty Building brings a new atmosphere to this portion of King’s College Circle: it is transparent, open, and welcoming to all, allowing campus life to thrive at the heart of the university.”
Above the lower teaching levels, the design is organized around seven floors of laboratory and research space designed to accommodate the latest scientific needs. Open-plan wet labs would be paired with shared support areas and adaptable servicing infrastructure, allowing teams to reconfigure spaces as research priorities change over time. The program brings together the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Cell & Systems Biology within a shared environment, with transparent edges and glazed corners.
Plans also align with the University of Toronto’s Climate Positive framework and long-term emissions targets. The building would be supported by high-efficiency mechanical systems and connected to a new district energy nodal plant, which is planned to supply heating and cooling to both the facility and surrounding campus buildings. This shared system is intended to improve overall energy performance while contributing to the university’s goal of achieving climate positivity by 2050, including a target for local renewable energy generation.
Beyond its architectural and programmatic components, the project is positioned as a central part of the university’s academic and research ecosystem. It is enabled by a $250 million donation from James and Louise Temerty, a significant and unprecedented investment in advancing biomedical research and education.
“This is more than a building — it’s a home that will serve our entire community and beyond,” said Lisa Robinson, Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions. “It will connect disciplines, strengthen partnerships with our world-class hospitals, and provide our faculty and learners with the tools and spaces they need to innovate and lead. And as a proud U of T alumna, I’m especially excited that it will also serve as a venue for convocation and other celebrations — places where students and their families will create memories that last a lifetime.”
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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