The Future of UTSC: North Campus Expansion
Master Plan in Action
The UTSC campus is on course to change dramatically over the coming decades as post secondary enrollment continues to increase and UTSC plans to expand further into the North Campus.
The North Campus has the long-term capacity to grow by up to an additional 6 million square feet of new space, which will include cutting edge research and teaching facilities, a world-class sport complex, and key campus life elements such as hotel and conferencing facilities, shops and restaurants, open green spaces and a central pedestrian thoroughfare.
UTSC's new Master Plan will guide this expansion over the next 25 to 50 years. Through a process of consultation over the last three years among the University, local communities, and planners from the City of Toronto, we are creating detailed designs of how the North Campus will grow.
The expansion will support UTSC's exciting academic curriculum and the opportunities the university provides for a vibrant student life. It will bolster UTSC's position as a robust pillar in the tri-campus system of the University of Toronto, and as a centre for cultural and intellectual life in the eastern GTA.
The newly completed Instructional Centre is the first building to establish the North Campus, and will be followed quickly by the new Aquatics and Athletics Facility, which is slated to open a year in advance of the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. The facility will be co-owned in partnership with the City of Toronto.
Key planned features of the North Campus
- New academic and research facilities
- Relocating Military Trail northward to create a pedestrian and student-friendly inner core Integration of multimodal transit
- A central, multi-purpose public transportation hub
- Developing partnerships that enhance student experience and opportunities
- Hotel-conference centre located close to the Pan Am facility and Highway 401
UTSC has come a long way from the one-building campus launched in 1964. With the North Campus expansion underway, UTSC is set to lead far into the twenty-first century.
Instructional Centre
The new Instructional Centre increases the total space for academic life on the UTSC campus by an impressive 25 percent.
Located on the northwest corner of Ellesmere Road and Military Trail, the Instructional Centre also creates a highly visible gateway for the entire UTSC campus. Construction on this state-of-the-art building began in September 2009, and students enjoyed their first classes in the Instructional Centre in May 2011.
The IC provides a new home for the Management and Computer & Mathematical Sciences (CMS) programs. It also houses the Co-op program, with ground-floor access that gives the program a new public profile.
Key features include
- A total 165,000 square feet of space, making it three times larger than the existing Management Building
- Seven lecture halls, three seating 350, 120 and 80 students respectively, and four seating 60 students, plus six full-sized classrooms
- All-new full-feature computer lab
- Numerous undergraduate program offices
- Street-front café-style coffee shop, as well as a restaurant
A Visual Experience
- When students walk in to the Instructional Centre, they are greeted by a floor-to-ceiling four-level atrium which lets in an abundance of natural light.
- The atrium also incorporates a stunning, three-level art piece that spans a feature wall.
Stunning Architecture
- The building itself is divided into two 'wings', one for students and the other for faculty offices. The wings are connected via glass enclosed catwalks, one of the building's many unique architectural features.
- Photo-voltaic solar panels cover all of the office wing as well as most of the main building.
- Designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc., the Instructional Centre was developed according to LEED Silver Standards. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards are voluntary sustainable standards for green building design, construction, and operations.
2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Aquatics Facility: Opening 2014
The Instructional Centre is just the first part of UTSC's new North Campus expansion. Advanced preparations are ongoing on the Aquatics and Athletics Facility, being built for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, which were recently awarded to the City of Toronto.
Extending UTSC's Reach: Prominent Northern Location
Located at the northeast corner of Morningside Avenue and Military Trail immediately south of the 401, the Pan Am Aquatics and Athletics Facility will surpass the square footage of every other building at UTSC, comprising over 360,000 square feet when it opens in 2015.
Key Features: Aquatics Centre
- Two Olympic-sized, 52-metre pools
- 10-metre diving tank
- Spectator seating
Key Features: Field House
- Four Gymnasiums
- Multipurpose program area
- Fitness and training facilities supporting both recreation and high-performance training
- Jogging track
- Running track
- Rock-climbing wall
- Variety of food services
Built for the University and the Community
Planned and owned jointly with the City of Toronto, the Aquatics and Athletics Facility will serve the University and the local community long after the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games are over.
An Exciting Future for Students
With the Instructional Centre opening in early 2011 and the Pan Am facility not long after, the University's Master Plan vision for the future is quickly becoming an exciting reality. Working with the local community, UTSC is creating a unique and engaging university experience that will benefit generations of students to come.