Toronto, Toronto, Toronto… Green

by FARHAD MANOUCHEHRI for Urbane Magazine

Having lived in Oakville, a town situated in the south-west part of the Greater Toronto Area, for quite a long time before moving to Toronto, I am staggered daily by the wonders and amusements that this metropolis city has to offer. Toronto is one of the major global cities in terms of architecture, economics, and education, and as a result, holds a definite presence on the global stage. This city is the birthplace of a number of prominent persons, including Frank Gehry, an eminent deconstructivist architect. By way of its defining features, Toronto can serve as an example of an urban, developing city from which other less developed municipalities can learn. Consequentially, it behooves Toronto to act as the vanguard of environmental and sustainable design, reinforcing the importance of these two aspects of design through their integration in public buildings and facilities. Through the encouragement of architectural innovation and support for its community, Toronto can foster an intellectual atmosphere and position itself as an epicenter of progressive architectural design. Two buildings standing in Toronto exemplify the principles of environmental and sustainable design in combination with postmodernist – the RBC Centre and the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research located at the University of Toronto.

RBC Centre

Opened in June of 2009, the RBC Centre has been built to the Gold NC standard of Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). “ The LEED Green Building Rating System is an internationally-accepted measurement for sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.”^[1] Some of the cutting-edge and state-of-the-art energy efficient designs that have granted this building such high merit in the field of environmental and sustainable design are automated lighting systems, raised floors for efficient electrical and communications distibutions, curtain wall with sun shades, operable windows and floor-to ceiling insulated glass high for greater natural light and fresh air, water collection and high-efficiency recycling systems, low-emitting materials, and the most innovative of all: Enwave Deep Lake Water Cooling system which only uses about 10% of the energy used in conventional systems.^[2]

As for the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Celular and Biomolecular Research (Donnelly CCBR) at U of T; this building is one of the many landmarks for this university which has an outstanding presence and eminence in many fields such as medical studies for its discovery of insulin and stem cells. The tower takes full use of the readily available natural sunlight due to its transparent nature. The Donnelly CCBR has a dual-insulated curtain wall at the South facade which aids in reducing heat and facilitates wind and acoustical modulation. ^[3]Additionally, the building features a winter garden and three “sky gardens” on the upper levels which create a magnificent social interaction area for the faculty and students. Larry Wayne Richards, a Professor and former Dean in the in the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto, has the ideal commentary on this: “ Rising from this sunny, well-used public space, the elongated, transparent, twelve-story Donnelly CCBR embraces sustainable design principles… The building is particularly spectacular at night, when it is glowing in its colorful nakedness, and a sense of the synergistic scientific work on molecular genetics comes alive.”^[4]

Although Toronto has made large strides in terms of incorporating environmental and sustainable design into the structure of the city, it falls short in comparison to its international peers. This difference can be rectified only spreading the sustainable and environmental design philosophy through institutions that hold influence in the public- namely universities and schools. The educational institutions of Toronto have many basic yet elemental assets, such as funds, facilities, and most importantly their talents, at their disposal for fulfilling the dream of transforming Toronto to one of the greenest cities in the world. United these institutions have the authority and potential to transform the face of Toronto for the many years to come; given that otherwise there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the prosperity of the forthcoming generations.