U of T Scarborough Staff

Harmony Commons becomes Canada's largest building with passive house certification

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:57:52 +0000

Harmony Commons becomes Canada's largest building with passive house certification

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/25/2024 - 12:57

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U of T Scarborough’s Harmony Commons residence is the largest passive house-certified building in Canada and the largest passive house dormitory in the world (photo by Ruilin Yuan)

U of T Scarborough Staff

Topic

Our Community

Sustainability

U of T Scarborough

Subheadline

The 746-bed student residence at U of T Scarborough touted as “an example to the world of what Canada is doing in high-performance buildings”

The Harmony Commons student residence is already turning heads at the ��Ƶ Scarborough thanks to its eye-catching design and comfortable living spaces – but its biggest impact may well be in the realm of sustainability.

The building, which first opened its doors to students last year, recently received passive house certification from the Passive House Institute during a recent ceremony on campus. The certification is given to buildings that exhibit exceptional energy efficiency, particularly when it comes to heating and cooling.

Harmony Commons now has the distinction of being the largest passive-certified building in Canada and largest passive house dormitory in the world.

“This is an example to the world of what Canada is doing in high-performance buildings,” said Chris Ballard, president and CEO of Passive House Canada.

“It’s a beacon to institutions and governments around the world that passive house buildings on this scale are doable.”

Harmony Commons received a passive house classic certification during a ceremony on Sept. 18 (photo by Ruilin Yuan)

Passive house construction is generally achieved through an airtight and well-insulated envelope that prevents heat from escaping, allowing buildings with the designation to consume up to 90 per cent less energy compared to conventional structures.

“The responsibility of sustainability falls on everybody,” said Andrew Arifuzzaman, U of T Scarborough’s chief administration and strategy officer.

“We have expertise in building technologies and systems, but if we’re putting up conventional buildings and not driving innovation, then we’re falling short.

“It became clear that this type of building concept made sense and aligned closely with our values.”

The first group of students moved into the nine-storey, 746-bed residence in September 2023, marking the first dormitory-style residence at U of T Scarborough. In keeping with passive house standards, Harmony Commons is well-ventilated and has better air flow than conventional buildings – with the improved air quality intended to help with sleeping and studying.

One of the building’s key innovations is that heat captured from various systems, including exhaust air from kitchens and showers, is used to heat spaces throughout the structure.

In fact, the building is so efficient that the energy it uses to make more than 3,000 meals each day in its dorms and dining hall is less than that used by two average households.

Designed by Handel Architects, Harmony Commons is also fully electric. Since no fossil fuels are burned in heating and cooling the building, it has extremely low carbon emissions.

Harmony Commons has an airtight and well-insulated envelope that prevents heat from escaping. It's also well-ventilated with improved air flow compared to conventional buildings (photo by Tom Arban)

Patricia Escobar, manager of sustainability at U of T Scarborough, notes that typical buildings in Toronto rely on fossil-fuel-based heating systems, but Harmony Commons reduces the amount of heat needed to be generated in the first place.

“This results in significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which supports our goal of becoming a climate positive campus,” she says.

While passive house certification is mostly attempted for small-scale buildings, applying the concepts to a building as large and complex as a dormitory-style residence came with a unique set of challenges – and opportunities.

Arifuzzaman says that building Harmony Commons effectively “de-risked” future large-scale passive house buildings.

“It shows the industry that this type of project can be done in this market and at this scale. It proves that passive house is an attainable standard for future large-scale developments,” he says.

He adds it also allowed many local people working in the trades to be trained in new construction methods for high-performance, sustainable buildings.

“This was a great opportunity to realize that you can contribute to reducing global climate change impact and still live a great quality of life,” he says.

New research institutes at U of T Scarborough will tackle important global challenges

siddiq22 — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:00:11 +0000

New research institutes at U of T Scarborough will tackle important global challenges

siddiq22 Tue, 08/01/2023 - 14:00

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(photo by Moussa Faddoul)

U of T Scarborough Staff

Topic

Our Community

Institutes for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and Ecosystems

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

SDGs@UofT

Economy

Environment

Research & Innovation

Sustainability

U of T Scarborough

Subheadline

iRISE will include three founding institutes and one institutional strategic initiative that support research to pursue solutions and catalyze change

A new tri-campus unit hosted at the ��Ƶ Scarborough will aim to address societal challenges related to health, the economy and the environment.

Called iRISE (Institutes for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and Ecosystems), the extra-departmental unit has been confirmed by the executive committee of U of T’s Governing Council and comprises three research-focused founding institutes and one institutional strategic initiative (ISI).

“iRISE provides an opportunity to intentionally bring together U of T’s outstanding scholarly strengths under a shared umbrella to address the intersecting complexities related to the environment, health and well-being, and sustainable economies and livelihoods," says Professor Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough.

"We look forward to leveraging the synergies and networks that it will foster, to further enhance and amplify the global impact of the exceptional work that is going on across our three campuses.”

iRISE will support multidisciplinary convergence research – research that shows deep integration across disciplines and is driven by a pressing societal need.

“iRISE will pursue solutions and catalyze change by facilitating research discoveries, enabling innovators to move discoveries into action, inspiring communities and building their capacity to act,” says Professor Irena Creed, U of T Scarborough vice-principal research and innovation.

“It will also train future leaders dedicated to creating inclusive, sustainable, just and equitable societies.”

The three founding institutes of iRISE include the Institute for Environment, Conservation and Sustainability; the Institute for Inclusive Health and Well-Being; and the Institute for Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Livelihoods.

iRISE will also be home to SDGs@U of T, an ISI that was approved in May.

Imre Szeman (supplied image)

Imre Szeman, professor of human geography at U of T Scarborough, is the inaugural director for the Institute for Environment, Conservation and Sustainability, which will explore the causes and consequences of climate change and develop mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Its potential research themes include interactions among plants, soil, water and air; the effects of climate change from the cellular to the ecosystem levels; ecological restoration; environmental sustainability; nature-based climate solutions; carbon markets; Indigenous perspectives on the natural world; and understanding the Earth through the exploration of other planets.

The Institute for Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Livelihoods is led by inaugural director Sergio Montero – associate professor of geography and planning at U of T Scarborough – who takes the reins from interim director Caroline Hossein, associate professor of global development at U of T Scarborough and cross-appointed to U of T's graduate program of political science.

Sergio Montero (supplied image)

This institute will imagine, explore and share alternative economic futures from unique perspectives. Its potential research themes include alternative and cooperative economic practices of Indigenous and racialized communities; data science methods for greater, more equitable prosperity; training and skills development strategies that encourage personal and economic development; advanced understanding of the complex interdependencies among nations, localities and economic agents to facilitate more transparent decision-making.

Interim director Charles Trick, a professor of health and society at U of T Scarborough, will lead the Institute for Inclusive Health and Well-Being, which will explore the many determinants of health of people living in the Anthropocene.

Charles Trick (supplied image)

Potential research themes include fundamental science explorations of aging, elder care and mental health; policy and program pathways to change health inequities; innovative solutions to complex health issues, including arts-based health approaches; and translating knowledge of the relationship between environment factors and well-being into practice and policy.

SDGs@UofT is being led by director Erica Di Ruggiero, associate professor in the division of social and behavioural health sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and in the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation.

Erica Di Ruggiero (supplied image)

The ISI will be dedicated to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – global targets to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, spur economic growth and tackle climate change.

Through its SDGs Scholars Academy, SDGs@UofT will conduct convergence research that will identify transition pathways to achieving the SDGs, measure progress, explore interdependencies and design instruments and interventions to build on the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Creed notes that hundreds of faculty, staff and students provided input that influenced the development of iRISE and its institutes. As iRISE continues to evolve, there will be ongoing opportunities for the U of T community to be involved in shaping its future directions. Directors will engage with faculty and students via one-on-one discussions and in departmental meetings.

Membership is open to faculty across U of T. Creed says that iRISE will be particularly beneficial to faculty, staff and students wishing to reach across academic units and institutions to build collaborations and partnerships that engage diverse communities, governments and industries.

“The iRISE directors will lead a vibrant intellectual community that will facilitate local and global partnerships and enable the nimble exploration, development and implementation of solutions,” she said.

U of T institutional strategic initiative focuses on UN sustainable development goals

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:24:30 +0000

U of T institutional strategic initiative focuses on UN sustainable development goals

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 07/27/2023 - 09:24

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A new strategic initiative launched by U of T will focus on an ambitious research agenda that addresses the UN's 17 sustainable development goals (photo by Johnny Guatto)

U of T Scarborough Staff

Topic

Global Lens

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Sustainable Development Goals

The ��Ƶ has launched SDGs@UofT, a new institutional strategic initiative aimed at having a substantive global impact by supporting sustainable development.

SDGs@UofT pursues an ambitious research agenda that addresses the 17 UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) –targets that individuals, communities, institutions and countries can work toward achieving by 2030. They include taking urgent steps to combat climate change, consuming and producing sustainably, improving health and education, reducing inequality and protecting the natural world, among others.

“Universities have been called on to commit to research and knowledge mobilization that support the sustainable development goals,” says Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “SDGs@UofT is part of U of T’s commitment to these goals and to developing solutions that have an impact on a global scale.”

SDGs@UofT supports a co-ordinated and coherent convergence research agenda that will leverage existing research strengths and bring together diverse thought leaders to help shape understanding and implementation of SDG initiatives. Convergence research consists of deep integration across different disciplines and is driven by a specific and compelling problem, particularly one arising from important societal needs.

“Removing institutional barriers to interdepartmental, interdivisional and tri-campus collaborations will enable research to address complex global problems that cannot be addressed by a single discipline,” says Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international.

The initiative will also launch the SDGs Scholars Academy, a think tank bringing together researchers from various disciplines across U of T with the goal of advancing understanding and addressing issues critical to sustainable development. Through the academy, SDGs@UofT will conduct research that will identify pathways to achieving the SDGs, measure progress along these pathways and explore interdependencies among the SDGs. It will also design interventions that will assist in the development of the next iteration of global goals after 2030.

SDGs@UofT will be led by U of T Scarborough and will be supported by a number of divisions and engage researchers, faculty, students and staff from across U of T.

Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, says SDGs@UofT reflects the campus’s commitment to incentivizing collaborative research to solve complex global issues.

“Our commitment is rooted in a collective vision of being the embodiment of inclusive excellence, a bold community of conscientious and adaptable global leaders in scholarship, innovation, teaching and learning who constructively disrupt the status quo, connect the world and advance transformative change for the good of all,” he says.

U of T has been incorporating facets of SDGs into its academic activities, campus operations and collaborations with local and global partners across its three campuses for several years. Many of these have been guided by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability.

Some notable recent examples include the launch of the sustainability pathways program, which clusters courses and co-curricular activities with a common theme of sustainability. There is also a new database of Campus as a Living Lab projects and an inventory of courses that provide students, partners and staff with the opportunity to experiment and contribute to real-world pressing sustainability and climate solutions. Work has been done across the three campuses in fitting buildings with geothermal heating and cooling systems aimed at achieving low carbon emissions.

The ongoing work done by the Reach Alliance, a tri-campus initiative founded at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, has also been committed to advancing SDGs by focusing on interventions and innovations that reach those living in extreme poverty. These efforts and others contributed to U of T being ranked second in the world in the inaugural QS Sustainability Rankings.

Erica Di Ruggiero, associate professor of global health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and research director of the SDGs@UofT, says there is a sense of urgency behind this work.

“The target for the sustainable development goals is 2030, so there isn’t a lot of time. In fact, during the pandemic, many countries lost ground on the SDGs,” says Di Ruggiero, whose research focuses on the influences affecting equitable policy progress on the sustainable development goals.

“But, along with our collaborators, we will harness the strengths of U of T across disciplines and sectors to generate just and equitable solutions that will also inform future goals.”

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SDGs@UofT

‘Areas of mutual interest’: U of T looks at ways to further deepen its ties with African universities and partners

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 30 May 2023 14:29:01 +0000

‘Areas of mutual interest’: U of T looks at ways to further deepen its ties with African universities and partners

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/30/2023 - 10:29

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A nine-member delegation from U of T recently visited higher education institutions in South Africa, Botswana and Ghana. The trip focused on ways U of T can partner with universities and organizations across the continent (submitted photo)

Topic

On a recent visit to Ghana, ��Ƶ Scarborough alumnus Efosa Obano met with a small group of young African entrepreneurs – a meeting he later described as a highlight of his trip.

The entrepreneurs – three Ashesi University students representing three separate startups – are all connected to Obano through the African Impact Challenge, a pitch and incubation program he helped launch with fellow African U of T students in 2020.

“These startups are all doing amazing work,” says Obano, who was joined at the meeting by Dave Fenton, assistant director of external relations in the department of management at U of T Scarborough.

“It’s been incredible seeing these companies grow from incubation right to the point where they are making a significant impact in their communities.”

Efosa Obano (left) and Dave Fenton (right) meet with Ashesi University alumna Maame Poku, who co-founded Emergency Response Africa with the help of the African Impact Initiative (submitted photo)

Obano and Fenton were part of a nine-member delegation from U of T that recently visited various higher education institutions in South Africa, Botswana and Ghana. The trip focused on ways U of T can partner with universities and organizations across the continent on three main areas of interest: student and faculty mobility; research collaborations; and entrepreneurship.

Professor Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, says many of the topics were first discussed last summer when various diplomats, scholars and African academic leaders visited U of T. The trip offered a chance to follow up on many of those topics with concrete actions, while also exploring new areas for further collaboration.

“Our primary goal was to strengthen and expand our existing relationships, but also cultivate new ones in areas of mutual interest,” Tettey says.

“We’re approaching our relationship with African universities through a lens of true partnership – one driven by co-creation and co-learning. There are so many opportunities for U of T students and faculty to collaborate with peers in Africa through student exchanges, collaborative research projects as well as courses and conferences, just to name a few.”

Tettey points to work being done by African researchers on climate change, energy and trans-border issues surrounding water management – similar to what is playing out between Canada and the United States – as a prime example for potential research collaborations.

Alexie Tcheuyap, associate vice-president and vice-provost, international student experience, says another avenue for collaboration is through U of T’s Global Classrooms Initiative, which allows faculty to work closely with peers abroad and connect classrooms in different parts of the world for co-teaching using online tools.

“With their institutional and infrastructural resources, South Africa, Botswana and Ghana offer exceptional and unique opportunities for students and faculty mobility in a changing global world,” Tcheuyap says.

Bill Gough, U of T Scarborough’s vice-principal academic and dean, who was also part of the delegation, adds there is potential for greater opportunities for experiential learning in international development and co-op placements for U of T students, too.

The 19-day trip, which wrapped up in April, included meetings with delegates from the University of Cape Town, the University of Western Cape, the University of Botswana, Ashesi University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the African Research Universities Alliance, among others.

U of T’s Office of the Vice-President, International has a team working in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa to facilitate diverse collaborative initiatives between the university and its African partners, notes Penina Lam, U of T’s director of international relations, Africa.

Professor Wisdom Tettey shakes hands with Professor David Norris, vice chancellor, University of Botswana after signing an MOU (photo by Setshwano Moaisi, University of Botswana)

Carlos Vargas, U of T Scarborough’s director of international and global engagement, says an important highlight of the trip was a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the University of Botswana and U of T Scarborough. Another was an MOU that U of T signed with the AAU, an organization that advocates for African higher education with more than 400 member institutions. 

Both of these agreements will help guide future collaborations in a range of areas including joint research collaborations, undergraduate and graduate student exchanges and internships, entrepreneurship-based training, joint conferences, seminars and graduate student training, adds Irena Creed, U of T Scarborough’s vice-principal, research and innovation.

Obano, a Nigerian-born U of T Scarborough business grad, says he learned a lot through the first-hand conversations he had with academic leaders about the strategies of African universities when it comes to the role of entrepreneurship in economic development. He says many of those conversations focused on the incubator model used by U of T’s top-ranked entrepreneurship ecosystem.

He says he’s also mindful of the importance of promoting “brain circulation” as a core philosophy in partnering with African universities.

“Our motivation isn’t a brain drain – we don’t want to pluck talented entrepreneurs away from Africa and bring them to U of T or Canada,” says Obano, who is also manager of U of T’s Black Founders Network.

“There are things that are working well here and there are things that are working well in Africa. Our goal is brain circulation – we want to leverage the best of both and learn from one another.”

U of T Scarborough Staff

Harmony Commons becomes Canada's largest building with passive house certification

New research institutes at U of T Scarborough will tackle important global challenges

U of T institutional strategic initiative focuses on UN sustainable development goals

‘Areas of mutual interest’: U of T looks at ways to further deepen its ties with African universities and partners

Read more about U of T’s partnerships in Africa