KPMB Architects

Toronto

In 2007 the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto launched an architectural competition for an addition. It had outgrown its 1995 home located alongside historic houses, churches, and academic buildings on the university's downtown campus.

The winning submission, by Toronto-based KPMB Architects, represents the school's ideals of community and integrative thinking in physical form. The 150,000-square-foot, LEED Silver'certified vertical facility doubles the size of the school. It adds an event hall, classrooms, offices, and a library, as well as conference and hospitality areas, in a glazed four-story slab structure topped by a five-story tower.

Architects Bruce Kuwabara and Marianne McKenna tackled the complex site by fusing the addition with the existing Rotman building. They linked corridors and public areas, while adding space above and below grade, with classrooms around a sunken court. They also integrated an 1890 mansion, which remains intact, for the school's Ph.D. program.

'We're basically applying integrative-design thinking to the Rotman,' Kuwabara says. 'Everything we're adding is complementary to what is there.' Most notably, the pre-existing building has a large atrium; the addition does not. Instead, it has a broad snaking stairway that connects to the extant atrium and serves as a gathering place for students and faculty. Punctuated by vibrant magenta sidewalls, the stair is like a bright pocket square in the building's tightly detailed gray suit. Its wide, shallow treads invite informal conversation, which the architects wanted to encourage to support the school's emphasis on interdisciplinary, lateral thinking.

The new building won a Governor-General Medal in Architecture, a biannual award for Canadian architects. The bold addition and its demonstrative central stair are important elements in the school's branding as it builds a global reputation and raises funds. The school's events team, which hosts public lectures and forums, saw its revenues increase by 15 percent in the first year. Its Exchange caf' has catered hundreds of events and doubled its sales since last year. Finally, the 400-seat main event hall'a glazed box situated one level above the street'has a utilization rate of 80 percent. This highly visible venue, with a terrace and green roof, communicates the Rotman School's openness to the community. It also provides spectacular views for its occupants out toward Canada's financial capital. Alex Bozikovic

Architect: KPMB Architects ' Bruce Kuwabara, design partner; Marianne McKenna, partner in charge; Luigi LaRocca, principal in charge

Engineers: Halcrow Yolles (structural); Smith & Andersen (mechanical/electrical)

Consultants: BVDA Group (building envelope); Janet Rosenberg + Associates (landscape)

General Contractor: Eastern Construction Company

Client: University of Toronto

Size: 150,000 square feet

Construction Cost: $60 million

Completion date: June 2012

Alex Bozikovic is the architecture critic at The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper.

People

Formal name of building:
Joseph L. Rotman School of Management Expansion, University of Toronto

Location:
91'97 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario

Completion Date:
June 2012

Gross square footage:
150,000 sf

Total construction cost:
$65.6 million (CAD)

Client:
University of Toronto

Owner:
University of Toronto

Architect's firm name, address, phone, and fax number:
KPMB Architects 322 King Street West Third Floor Toronto, Canada M5V 1J2 Phone 416-977-5104 Fax 416-598-9840

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Bruce Kuwabara, OC, OAA, FRAIC, AIA, RIBA (design partner)
Marianne McKenna, OC, OAA, OAQ, FRAIC, AIA (partner-in-charge)
Luigi LaRocca, OAA, MRAIC, LEED AP (principal-in-charge)
Paulo Rocha (associate, design and project architect, all phases)
Dave Smythe (associate, project architect, contract administration)
Myriam Tawadros (project architect)

Bruno Weber, John Peterson, Janice Wong, Richard Wong, Victor Garzon, Lilly Liaukus, Bryn Marler, Rachel Stecker, Maryam Karimi, Carolyn Lee, Danielle Sucher, Laura Carwardine

Interior designer:
KPMB Architects

Engineers (structural, civil, mechanical, etc.):
Halcrow Yolles (structural), Smith & Andersen (mechanical, electrical)

Consultant(s):
Turner & Townsend cm2r (cost), BVDA Group (building envelope), Transsolar, Halsall Associates (energy, LEED), E.R.A. Architects (heritage), Leber | Rubes (life safety), Janet Rosenberg + Associates (landscape), ACSI (elevator), Engineering Harmonics (audio visual), Aercoustics Engineering Ltd. (acoustics), Kaizen Foodservice Planning & Design (food services), Brian Ballantyne Specifications (specifications), Entro Communications/G+A (signage), Cole Engineering (civil)

General contractor:
Eastern Construction Company

Photographer(s):
Maris Mezulis
3608 LindaStreet, Innisfil, ON, L9S 2L2
416-619-5384
studio@marismezulis.com

Tom Arban
81 Jersey Ave, Toronto, ON, M6G 3A5
416.566.9409
tom@tomarban.com

 

Products

Exterior cladding
Masonry: Gem Campbell
Metal Panels: Flynn Canada Ltd.
Metal/glass curtain wall: Oldcastle Building Envelope
Precast concrete: Ductal Panels by Lafarge ' installed by Oldcastle Building Envelope
Moisture barrier: Oldcastle Building Envelope
Curtain wall: Oldcastle Building Envelope

Roofing
Bothewell-Accurate Co.
Tile/shingles: Slate Shingles by North Country Slate
Other: Siplast insulting concrete NVS System; Green roof product by XeroFlor sub to Bothwell-Accurate

Glazing
Glass: Albion Glass (Interior Glazing)

Doors
Entrances: Oldcastle Building Envelope
Metal doors: Commercial Doors and Hardware
Wood doors: Doorland Group
Fire-control doors, security grilles: Total Doors

Hardware
Locksets: Sargent - ASSA ABLOY
Closers: Sargent - ASSA ABLOY
Exit devices: Sargent - ASSA ABLOY
Pulls: Sargent - ASSA ABLOY
Security devices: Sargent - ASSA ABLOY

Interior finishes
Acoustical ceilings: Ontario Acoustic Supply Inc.
ACT ceilings: Armstrong Cirrus Open Plan
Perforated Metal Ceiling (@ Level 4-Top of Atrium): CGC Celebration

Demountable partitions: Movable wall: Dorma - Modernfold and Moveo

Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Art Magic Carpentry and MCM 2001
Paints and stains: ICI Paints

Floor and wall tile (cite where used):
Hardwood flooring: Oak Flooring - Admonter

Special interior finishes unique to this project: Movable wall: Dorma - Modernfold and Moveo Decorative glass panels/partitions: Albion Glass and Unifor Window treatments: Sun Project TackBoard: FORBO

Furnishings
Office furniture:
Workstation/task seating: Herman Miller - Aeron (Offices) and Setu Task chairs (Classrooms and Study Rooms) Conference seating: Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group chairs (Meeting rooms with Naos Table)

Storage systems (manufacturers and dealers)
Files: Knoll
Shelving: Knoll
Lockers/cubbies: Shanahan's
Custom Wood Lockers: MCM 2001
Closet systems: Part of Knoll office system
Drawers/case goods: Part of Knoll office system

Reception furniture:
Knoll Lounge Chairs main floor fireplace Lounge,
Keilhauer doon chair in student Lounges,
Custom Ottomans - Louis Interiors,
Upholstered Await Benches - Coalesse,
Arper Catifa 80 Swivel Lounge chairs - Kiosk

Tables:
Conference:
Large backpainted glass Unifor Naos tables in meeting rooms - Ital Interiors,
Study rooms Knoll Antenna tables,
9th floor larger meeting room fr. Blu Dot - Urban Mode,
Event space Rander flex tables- Kiosk

Cafeteria/dining:
Custom Corian Tables Workplace resource,
Outdoor custom Corian top and White Pedrali base - Klaus

Reception desk: Custom Millwork by Art Magic

Other tables:
Large and small Wood Stump tables - Mac Cool Reuse,
Round Solid Iron coffee tables - Derek McLeod

Upholstery: Maharam, Edelman leather, Knoll

Other furniture (use additional sheet if necessary):
Tables (manufacturers and dealers)
Conference:
Large backpainted glass Unifor Naos tables in meeting rooms - Ital Interiors,
Study rooms Knoll Antenna tables,
9th floor larger meeting room fr. Blu Dot - Urban Mode,
Event space Rander flex tables- Kiosk

Cafeteria/dining:
Custom Corian Tables Workplace resource,
Outdoor custom Corian top and White Pedrali base - Klaus

Reception desk: Custom Millwork by Art Magic

Other tables:
Large and small Wood Stump tables - Mac Cool Reuse,
Round Solid Iron coffee tables - Derek McLeod

Cafeteria/dining seating:
Arper Catifa stacking chairs ' Kiosk

Auditorium seating:
Arper Catifa stacking chairs ' Kiosk
SDR Telescoping Seating in Event space

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting:
Recessed Fluorescent Fixtures: Cooper NeoRay
Pendant Fluorescent Fixtures: Cooper NeoRay & Sistemalux (@ 9th floor only)
Floor/table lamps: Lim Task Light Haworth (at Offices only)

Task lighting: Lim Task Light Haworth (at Offices only)

Exterior:
Exterior Landscape lighting: Ghidini
Exterior Deck Lighting: DeltaLight
Exterior Soffit lighting: Axis Lighting

Conveyance
Elevators/Escalators: Elevators by: Selco Elevator Ltd.

Plumbing
Toilets by American Standard, Faucets by Delta, and Urinals by Toto

Add any additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project:
Storage systems (manufacturers and dealers)
Files: Knoll
Shelving: Knoll
Lockers/cubbies: Shanahan's
Custom Wood Lockers: MCM 2001
Closet systems: Part of Knoll office system
Drawers/case goods: Part of Knoll office system

Planters, accessories (manufacturers): Etikka planters 9th floor - Woeller Signage (fabricator): Acumen Visual Group Inc.