The York University School of Continuing Education (SCS) currently operates across several temporary locations, presenting significant challenges for both students and faculty. Recognizing this, the university has emphasized the need for a dedicated building that not only embodies the college’s identity and culture but also defines the campus gateway and meets ambitious sustainability goals.
This architectural project introduces a bold new home for the college, anchoring the southern edge of the campus and creating a vibrant pedestrian plaza. The building offers highly adaptable learning environments, collaborative social spaces, and offices for both students and faculty. Its bright and spacious interiors foster a strong sense of community, culture, and identity within the continuing education program.
The project’s primary focus is reducing embodied carbon while enhancing the physical and mental well-being of its users. It explores net zero energy and net zero carbon possibilities, targeting LEED Gold certification. Key design strategies include a passive house approach for the building envelope, direct outdoor air ventilation, and active cooling beams integrated throughout. These features, combined with efficient HVAC and energy systems, significantly lower the building’s energy demand and reduce the scale of renewable energy needed to achieve net zero energy performance.
Distinct from neighboring structures, the design employs strict economic measures to balance high energy efficiency with occupant comfort. To avoid cost overruns from complex shapes, the architects utilized simple geometric forms that optimize the reuse of standard components. The building’s dynamic form emerges from this logic: rectangular floor plates rotate around a shared center of mass, creating a unique architectural expression.
The building’s overall rotated form introduces bidirectional curves on both the north and south facades. As it twists around its center of mass, triangular panel patterns use regular or biaxial symmetry to produce repeating panel shapes along the long and short sides. This subtle rotation not only creates a visually striking new home for the Continuing Education College but also supports key objectives including energy efficiency, occupant well-being, and architectural distinction on campus.
Project Drawings
△ Model Diagram
△ Model Diagram
△ Model Diagram
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Third Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Exploded Diagram
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architect: Perkins & Will
Area: 11,200 square meters
Project Year: 2022
Photographers: Doublespace Photography, Tom Arban Photography
Suppliers: Alumicor, Carey Glass, Second Generation Furnishings, TK Elevator
Lead Architects: Andrew Frontini, Safdar Abidi
Design Team: Safdar Abidi, Andrew Frontini, Dan McTavish, Jon Loewen
Building Code Consultant: David Hines Engineering
Electrical Engineering: Smith+Andersen
Location: Toronto, Canada
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