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| AWARD WINNER: The Academic Resource Centre has won a design excellence award from the Ontario Association of Architects. (Photo by Ken Jones.) |
by Aurora Herrera
The Academic Resource Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough
has won an architectural design award from the Ontario Association of
Architects (OAA).
Designed by Brian MacKay-Lyons in association with Rounthwaite, Dick
& Hadley Architects, the Academic Resource Centre (ARC) was among
15 structures from across the province to win an award in the
organization’s Design Excellence category.
“The ARC building is a signature addition to the U of T
Scarborough campus, and it is well conceived and integrated into that
precinct of the larger campus. The library space was particularly
commended,” said Shirley Blumberg, chair of this year’s
jury. “Design excellence considers all aspects of a building,
aesthetic design and social and environmental sustainability.”
The award recognizes the quality of design in the structure, said Ted
Relph, a geography and social sciences professor at U of T
Scarborough. The former special advisor to the principal on campus
development, he attended the OAA awards ceremony and annual meeting,
and accepted the prize on behalf of the campus community.
“The exterior of the building is considered to be visually very
powerful, with strong shapes that echo the forms of the original
poured concrete buildings of the Humanities Wing,” said Relph.
“The ARC is clad in copper – a material that will weather
and age in a distinctive way – and that is very unusual. The
interior is based on a strong grid of walkways and sightlines, and
continues the interior pedestrian street system of the original 1960s
buildings.”
Bright as a new penny, the copper-clad facility opened in 2003 with
several hundred additional study spaces, improved work space and other
features. Inside the library, the Sun Microsystems Informatics Commons
provides a large computer study area. The 9,000-square metre facility
also features a 500-seat theatre that can be used for musical
performances as well as academic lectures. Using a simple palate of
wood, copper and concrete, the design was described as creating a
series of accessible spaces with light-flooded interiors.
The OAA is a self-governing organization that represents 2,500
licensed architects across the province, as well as 1,200 intern
architects, and 750 associates who are honorary, lifetime, retired,
and student partners. There are 1,325 architectural practices in
Ontario. The organization recognizes and awards outstanding
architectural work at its annual meeting. This year’s OAA
meeting was held in Niagara Falls
This is the ARC’s first architectural award, according to Relph.
The considerations were based on six categories: creativity, context,
program, environment, good design is good business, and legacy.
Creativity is defined as innovation in the design solution; context is
the contribution the structure brings to the community; program is the
role played by the architect in addressing unique issues; environment
is the level of sustainability; good design is good business examines
how well the business and architectural goals of the client are met;
and legacy examines the ability of the architect to reach a new height
in excellence. In total, the organization received 162 submissions to
three categories; Design Excellence, Concepts and Presentation; and
Best Emerging Practice.
The ARC was completed in 2003 and was the first new large building
erected on campus since 1971. According to Relph, it replaced the
existing library and more than doubled the size of the original
facility. Funding for the ARC project was supported by the Government
of Ontario.
Three other University of Toronto buildings were also honoured by the
OAA. The St. George campus was recognized for the Multi-Faith Centre
for Spiritual Study and Practice on the St. George campus. The
University of Toronto Mississauga excelled with two buildings: The
Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre and the Recreation, Athletic
and Wellness Centre. In addition, several more University of Toronto
buildings have earned other prestigious architectural awards from
other groups and institutions recently. For details on the others, click
here.
For more on the Ontario Association of Architects and the 2008 awards,
visit:
http://www.oaa.on.ca/client/oaa/OAAHome.nsf/
Aurora Herrera is a fourth-year student in the joint journalism program offered by U of T Scarborough and Centennial College. She is currently working as an intern in the office of marketing and communications.