Project Description

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus - West (Phase 1) is a thirteen story, 200,000-square-foot office and laboratory building to house innovation oriented startups operating in the fields of biomedicine, computation, and artificial intelligence. This project was conceived to advance the University of Toronto’s strategic vision of linking academic research with entrepreneurial endeavor.

The design features a tapered pyramidal massing with terrazzo-like precast skin, a wood-lined multipurpose room, a glass fronted feature stair running up the prominent west elevation, and two double-story winter gardens to serve as informal gathering spaces and host scheduled events for the building’s occupants.

Sited at the critical juncture between the University campus, the historic Legislature grounds, and Toronto’s Discovery District, the Campus will provide a new home to a diverse group of entities expected to benefit from collocation, including several university-sponsored entrepreneurial incubator programs; various startup companies and corporate collaborators; and a partner institution, the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

Selected Recognition

AIANY Design Merit Award, Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) Best Higher Education/University Building Design Award, Ontario Concrete Award, UrbanToronto Year End Polls Winner, SARANY Design Honor Award, and AIA Tri-State Design Excellence Award

Featured in Architectural Record, Azure, Architect’s Newspaper, The New York Times, Canadian Architect, The Toronto Star, and others.

Photography © WEISS/MANFREDI

Role

Senior Project Manager