U of T Passive House residence to be ready for fall
May 31, 2023 | By HPAC Magazine
The mechanical system at the University of Toronto Scarborough new student residence building is designed to recuperate heat and energy.
The new U of T Scarborough Campus Student Residence, being constructed to the Passive House high-performance building standard, will be 40-60% more energy efficient than conventional buildings. (CNW Group/Pomerleau)
The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) and Pomerleau have announced that the new Scarborough Campus Student Residence building will be ready to welcome its first round of students in September.
The building, which started construction in July of 2020, is being built to the Passive House high-performance building standard.
It features numerous low-energy design elements, including high-efficiency insulation and windows as well as building systems that are designed to reduce energy consumption. Expectations are for a 40 to 60% improvement compared to conventional buildings.
Doubling the current residence capacity at the UTSC campus, the 24,620-sq.m. building houses 746 beds with single, double and wheelchair accessible suites. It also includes an energy efficient cafeteria, a common area for learning workshops, two suites for visiting scholars, a dining room, administrative offices, and several mixed-used spaces.
Together, with its local trade partners, Pomerleau has kept the project on schedule despite having to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, labour challenges and global supply chain issues.
“There are so many interesting elements to this building,” said Michael Faustini, project director at Pomerleau. “The mechanical system is designed to recuperate heat and energy. We have a pit in the basement that captures all the hot water from showers and uses it as a heat source, and the heat from the commercial kitchen in the cafeteria is also captured and reused.”
