Toronto U of T: University of Toronto Schools | 20.42m | 3s | Diamond Schmitt

Updated renderings via new architectural plans:

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http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentAp...icationsList.do?action=init&folderRsn=4330985
 

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I just completed a housing survey from U of T that suggests they are thinking of adding significant faculty housing (for rent and purchase) centered in the NW section of campus. The Univ owns most of the homes in the Sussex neighbourhood to the east of Spadina, and the remainder of the UTS schools site (occupied by U of T Sociology and some OISE) will eventually be redeveloped. I'm hoping that the remainder of this site can be combined with the properties on Washington Ave to create a Mirvish Village style development taking the whole block. Like Markham st in Mirvish Village, Washington Ave could be pedestrianized. The survey suggests the University is worried that recruiting and retaining top notch faculty is suffering from high housing costs. Other universities with high local housing costs, like Stanford Univ, have also invested a lot in faculty housing villages.
 
That's interesting to note that UofT is considering creating its own faculty housing. Thanks for sharing that - I wonder if we'll hear any announcements or see any movement on it in the coming year.

As for those updated renderings above, I don't know where to begin with how uninspired, uncomfortable, and overall poor that design is - the dimensions and proportions of everything feel off. I don't understand a lot of the stuff coming out of DSAI lately.
 
.dwg said:
That's interesting to note that UofT is considering creating its own faculty housing. Thanks for sharing that - I wonder if we'll hear any announcements or see any movement on it in the coming year.

As for those updated renderings above, I don't know where to begin with how uninspired, uncomfortable, and overall poor that design is - the dimensions and proportions of everything feel off. I don't understand a lot of the stuff coming out of DSAI lately.
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Everything to do with the stairwell is particularly bad. The cladding of the auditorium is a simple stack bond of white brick… and while I like stack bond, we get little of it here, that's a very large area to go unrelieved. I wouldn't want something fussy there either, but surely some subtle gesture could be introduced that could reference the 1920 building, and tie it into it without pretending to be it.

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It's not an issue with a lack of articulation for me so much as the overall massing. The ground level "cut" looks claustrophobic for the proportions of the greater volume; it looks heavy. And the way it encroaches the east side of the old school and then matches its height as a datum - that feels wrong. If it's going to wrap the side, it should defer or contrast to the old building entirely, not use it as a datum.

It looks like they're trying to do something interesting sectionally, but without even seeing the drawings I feel like it's just not there yet.
 
.dwg said:
It's not an issue with a lack of articulation for me so much as the overall massing. The ground level "cut" looks claustrophobic for the proportions of the greater volume; it looks heavy. And the way it encroaches the east side of the old school and then matches its height as a datum - that feels wrong. If it's going to wrap the side, it should defer or contrast to the old building entirely, not use it as a datum.

It looks like they're trying to do something interesting sectionally, but without even seeing the drawings I feel like it's just not there yet.
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I think they're at the final stage of planning approval on this. I doubt it's going before the DRP, and I expect few if any changes at this point… and that's unfortunate if I'm right.

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AlbertC said:
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It is interesting that there are video game characters illustrated on the middle floor of the exposed stairwell (from left to right):

Kirby, Togepi, Pikachu, Torchic, and Eevee (contrary to popular misconceptions, Kirby isn't a Pokémon, though the others are)

Apparently, U of T Schools students must be obsessed with Nintendo.
 
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