[ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
TORONTO \u2014 Set to rise on a tight site at the intersection of Bond and Gould streets, construction of Toronto Metropolitan University\u2019s new Student Wellbeing Centre (SWC) is officially underway. <\/p>\n
Designed by Siamak Hariri, founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, the project involves preserving and restoring the heritage O\u2019Keefe House of 1855. <\/p>\n
An eight-storey, hybrid mass-timber tower will then emerge from the former student residence and features a transparent esthetic to create an inviting appeal. <\/p>\n
Students can access medical, health, wellness and academic support services currently scattered across the university.<\/p>\n
\u201cConfiguring these program relationships for visibility, security, and accessibility was critical to making the building welcoming and supportive of the privacy of individuals,\u201d said Hariri in a statement. <\/p>\n
The vertical stacking allows for a core of green terraces, meeting rooms and lounge spaces and creates a vertical landscaping motif of the \u201cTree of Well-being.\u201d <\/p>\n
There will be cantilevered glass boxes extending from the verdant double-height ground floor upwards through the centre of the building.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project frames nature as the heart of the building and acknowledges its role in restoration and healing, a valued Indigenous perspective and approach to wellness inspired by the Food Forest<\/p>\n
Teachings of Elder Duke Redbird, introduced here by Two Row Architect,\u201d the release reads. <\/p>\n
Exposed timber decking will be used and the project is targeting Fitwel 2-star certification, an evidenced-based measure of the built environment\u2019s impact on human health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u00a033,360-square-foot tower features a fritted glazed fa\u00e7ade on the north and west elevations. A new terrace on the rooftop of the heritage house adds a private space of retreat adjacent to group counselling rooms, the release adds. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis building will be a beacon of support to students at TMU in a space that offers shelter, renewal, and quiet strength,\u201d added Hariri. <\/p>\n
The $42-million project is largely funded by a student health and well-being fee and will open in 2027.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n