University of Toronto’s Myhal Centre and Ontario Tech University’s Shawenjigewining Hall have been shortlisted for the 2022 Design Excellence Awards. The Awards program highlights work in Ontario that reveals the possibilities of architecture, and delivers innovative approaches to the built environment. Projects are judged based on the strength of their creativity, relationship to context, good design and good business practices, and legacy. This year the OAA also demanded the inclusion of specific sustainability metrics so that projects could showcase their ambitious energy-saving strategies.
Shawenjigewining (pronounced “zha-wen-ji-GEH’-win-ing”) is an Anishinaabe word meaning “The Kind Place.” True to its moniker, Shawenjigewining Hall is a home-away-from-home for every student on this commuter campus. The five-storey, 7,432-m2 building delivers a wide range of student-centred functions. These functions converge around a large open atrium—the ultimate collision space—whose energy activates not only the building core, but also its perimeter, the streetscape, and the adjoining commons. Inside and out, a sophisticated manipulation of simple elements—volume and void, light and shadow—create compelling, memorable qualities of space and a rich diversity of experiences.
The Myhal Centre heralds a new era in engineering education at the University of Toronto. The 12,920-m2 multidisciplinary teaching and research hub features a progressive blend of formal and informal learning spaces to create an ideal ecosystem for creativity, cross-pollination, and a more complete student life. The building is disciplined in its expression in deference to its many notable neighbours—each façade a simple yet elegant response to its unique bioclimatic condition. The design conjures a sense of awe in its sophisticated stacking of three major voids topped by six conical light shifts that drive daylight deep into its core.
To learn more about the University of Toronto Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, click here.
To learn more about the Ontario Tech University Shawenjigewining Hall, click here.
To see the full list of finalists, click here.