ARCHITECTS Montgomery Sisam Architects in association with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
While country-wide educational budgets continue to be strained, the University of Toronto?s downtown St. George campus maintains an ambitious construction program prioritizing design excellence. This is evident in the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the outcome of a six-year joint venture between Toronto-based Montgomery Sisam Architects and the UK?s Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.
Opened last September, the Myhal Centre is a cross-disciplinary research and teaching hub, which serves the University?s wide range of engineering disciplines. It marks a shift toward applied engineering; here, students, faculty, researchers, alumni and industry partners work together to foster active learning, encourage entrepreneurial activity and accelerate innovation. The building?s design is also a means to enable cultural change?stimulating multidisciplinary collaboration and social interactions was a key driver. The rhythmic façade of the new engineering centre takes its proportions and material cues from neighbouring campus buildings. Photo by Tom Rideout
Surrounded by a mix of buildings spanning the University?s 150-year history, the eight-storey Centre sits squarely on the last unbuilt site along the campus?s main thoroughfare. Its massing and footprint preserve sightlines and well-trodden paths between notable campus buildings, while materials, composition and scale ...