Saucier + Perrotte - University of Toronto Faculty of Law

FACULTY OF LAW EXPANSION AND
PRECINCT plan
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
SAUCIER + PERROTTE ARCHITECTES
in collaboration with
JANET ROSENBERG + ASSOCIATES
Landscape Architects + Urban Designers
Hallsall Associates
Structural and Sustainability
Andre SchEinman
Heritage Consultant
INTRODUCTION
The site of the Faculty of Law in the urban context of Toronto
is one incredibly rich and full of potential. With Bloor Street
just to the North and the Queen’s Park Axis to the East and the
Philosopher’s Walk to the West, the site is both prominent in the
city and the location of a convergence of diverse cultural and
educational elements.
Particularly on the site itself, several forces, historic and
topographical are at play.
The new precinct plan we are proposing for the Faculty of Law
creates a system of built form and landscape that integrates
harmoniously within the urban fabric of this vital cultural zone of
the city. The system offers clarity of form to the Faculty, giving a
meaningful, contemporary architectural language to the precinct,
one that respects and enhances our appreciation of the older
architecture of the Flavelle House and Flaconer Hall. Allowing the
existing contextual forces to shape its form, the new building both
houses the valuable institutional functions of the Faculty and its
library but also gives eloquent and visionary shape to the precinct
as a whole. In one sense, it acts as a sensitive and subtle pole,
anchoring the south end of the block that starts from Bloor and
ends with Hoskin Avenue. At the same time, its form along with
that of the actual Philosopher’s Walk point the direction to the
rest of the campus and downtown.
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SAUCIER + PERROTTE
CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
While the Philosopher’s Walk has evolved over time from natural
ravine to promenade, the new Law Faculty addition acts as an
elemental form upon which the “forces” inherent in the site act.
Echoing the natural environs into which it is delicately set, the
addition has been conceived as a built form of the Philosopher’s
Walk, an interpretive element deformed in a manner congruous to
the programmatic needs of the Faculty of Law.
Notions of porosity and permeability pervade the scheme.
Evident immediately are the intrinsically interwoven cross-site
forces that which mold the architecture, folding and carving out
spaces and paths into and around building.
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SAUCIER + PERROTTE
CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
We perceive Taddle Creek as an architectural shoreline weaving
through the topos. Still evoking the long buried ravine, the creek
bed flows through the city carving out a new shore as it moves.
The Philosopher’s Walk, which gives substantial definition to this
portion of the creek, acts as an oasis to this cultural area, where
one may turn for respite, but also has the potential to act as a
more prominent entrances to the Faculty of Law Complex and as
a gateway to the University of Toronto campus to the south.
As a refreshing urban element, Taddle Creek’s several layers of
symbolism for the city set the tone for the project and precinct.
The idea of the possible fluidity of the creek, too, suggests the
fluidity implicit in the formal language of the building.
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As the element begins to fold and deform as a result of these
forces, its character in the urban context emerges as one that
exists in harmony with the existing built environment, creating
spaces for education and interaction, but also meaningfully
shaping the spaces that previously existed as underutilized and
interstitial in order to bring out their full potential.
The existing site forces push as pull the band, giving it form and
indicating paths to cross the site. Thus the ideas of porosity and
permeability emerge as driving factors behind the project. Just
as the creek has been shaped over time by forces, both natural
and man-made, so the building’s form has been influenced by
contemporary urban factors— natural, artificial and social— that
exert pressures on the site.
FUTURE
EXPANSION
ROM
FACULTY OF MUSIC
FACULTY OF LAW
POSSIBLE
In considering the Faculty’s program as a band extending along
the Philosopher’s Walk, the existing contextual figures—the
historic Flavelle House, Falconer Hall, the exterior courtyard
plaza, the trace of the 1961 Library expansion, and Queen’s
Park—are readily perceived as acting upon and shaping this linear
element.
PHILOSOPHER’S WALK
SITE considerations
MIXED USE BUILDING
ACADEMIC
OFFICES AND
ADMINISTRATION
PRIVATE
PRACTICE
ROOMS
RECITAL
HALL
FACULTY AND
RESEARCH
OFFICES
ADMINISTRATION
SPACES AND SUPPORT
GRAND MOOT
COURT AND
CLASSROOM
SPACES
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENT SPACES
STUDENT JOURNALS
AND ORGANIZATIONS
FALCONER
HALL
The resulting site is pedestrian-oriented. The newly redefined
exterior courtyard takes shape as an ideal setting for relaxing
and holding events, while landscape elements such as the grass
surrounding the building also become places for gathering. The
building’s formal language is open toward these spaces, ensuring
their continual use.
EXTERIOR
COURTYARD
FLAVELLE
HOUSE
TRACE OF 1961
LIBRARY
GRADUATE
STUDENT
PRECINCT
INFORMATION
COMMONS
LIBRARY SPACES
AND STACKS
MAGNIFICENT
READING
ROOM
faculty of law expansion
QUEEN’S
PARK
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SAUCIER + PERROTTE
SITE considerations
A fountain has been incorporated into the exterior courtyard, and
its water flows toward Philosopher’s Walk by means of a channel
and waterfall.
The implementation of a new, interpretive creek element – into
which the fountain’s water flows—gives one a palpable sense of
being suspended above the waterbed that long defined the area.
The idea of water running beneath fosters the poetic notion of
a harmonious human relationship with the earth. While studying
or doing research in the library and faculty spaces above, the
meditative environment created by the relationship between
building and the creek landscape below is one that enhances the
learning experience.
The creek’s mineral form evokes the notion of erosion that the
natural forces once enacted upon the ravine. The architectural
form of the Faculty of Law addition draws inspiration from the
similar idea of forces sculpting an element in the landscape.
Sustainability :
The project reflects the firm’s philosophy that all good design
must have a social purpose, a purpose best achieved through
“total design” – an approach integrating many skills to provide
simple and elegant, not simplistic, solutions to the complex
problems facing our world. Sustainability objectives for the
project include access to views, daylight, green roof technology,
natural ventilation, and reduced site disturbance.
The conservation of trees, reuse of existing structural elements
in the building and the integration of water in the courtyard
underscore the sustainabile mindset with which the project was
conceived.
faculty of law expansion
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SAUCIER + PERROTTE
CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
The building takes the program elements necessary to the
Faculty of Law and organizes them in a manner that creates a
unique experience as one proceeds through the building and
perceives the carefully framed vantage points at the ends of each
axis. The programmatic elements are grouped in an optimal and
efficient manner that both is readily clear to understand, but also
allows for optimum teaching, research and study opportunities,
with zones of interaction and quiet reflection located throughout
the building.
Of vital note is that as the building turns about the enclosed
garden and creates a dynamic path leading through the Faculty, it
efficiently groups spaces according to their logical programmatic
functions. As such, the Faculty’s spaces are grouped in wings
facing The Philosopher’s Walk, the exterior courtyard, and
Queen’s Park. Student spaces are organized together in the
Queen’s Park (eastern) wing, while the majority of the library
functions are located along the Philosopher’s Walk wing.
Connecting these two wings is the Information Commons, whose
wing culminates in the library’s Reading Room, as mentioned
above, from which unfolds the dramatic vista of Taddle Creek and
the city beyond.
Entrances to the Law Complex are located at the current main
entrance to the Flavelle House, from the exterior courtyard, and
from the Philosopher’s Walk.
Approaching from the south, the journey begins at the entrance
of the Philosopher’s Walk gates where one ascends the raised
ground plane (the Queen’s Park entrance level) and arrives at the
central space at the core of the new building, where the enclosed
garden illuminates the space. With the grand moot court room on
one side, visitors and frequent users of the building have direct
access to this meeting facility, which can be also entered from
the Philosopher’s Walk/Ground Level and the second floor.
Public functions such as the clinical office space, casebook store
and food services are also located at the main Queen’s Park
entrance level. From here one may descend to the classrooms
at the Philosopher Walk level or proceed toward the historic
Flavelle House, which houses the conference facilities, as well
as the Dean’s and Faculty offices. The connection from the new
building to the Flavelle House is beautifully seamless. A glazed
skin weaves from the addition through the interior of the Flavelle
House courtyard colonnade, guiding users from one space to the
other. The Faculty’s ground floor conference spaces, in turn, open
onto the newly redesigned courtyard.
The Information Commons, envisioned as a place of information
gathering, digital communication and interaction, emerges along
the exterior courtyard adjacent to Flavelle House and carries
the users upward to the library spaces and stacks or directly to
the student spaces. Continuing straight through the Information
Commons, one arrives at the Reading Room as the culmination of
the journey through the building at which point one is at the level
of the tree canopy and has a prime view of the Philosopher’s Walk.
ROM POSSIBLE
FUTURE EXPANSION
(MIXED USE)
ACADEMIC
OFFICES AND
ADMINISTRATION
(MUSIC)
FACULTY
OF MUSIC
STUDENT SPACE AND
RESEARCH WING
RECITAL
HALL
(MUSIC)
CAFE
PRIVATE
PRACTICE
ROOMS
(MUSIC)
FACULTY AND RESEARCH
OFFICES
INFORMATION
COMMONS
GRAND MOOT COURT
AND CLASSROOM
SPACES
GRADUATE STUDENT
PRECINCT
ENCLOSED
GARDEN
STUDENT JOURNALS AND
ORGANIZATIONS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
SPACES
MAGNIFICENT
READING
LIBRARY SPACES
ROOM
AND STACKS
ADMINISTRATION
SPACES AND SUPPORT
LIBRARY AND
ADMINISTRATION WING
FACULTY
OF LAW
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SAUCIER + PERROTTE
CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
The more subtle aspects of the flow through the site and building
have been carefully considered. The building geometry serves
to provide stimulating learning and studying environments. For
instance, behind the volume of the moot court on the second
floor is the common student reading area, which benefits from
the terraced slope of the court itself. Moreover, the form
and orientations of the architecture ensure that there are no
secondary student or office spaces. In fact , the form privileges
staff and administrative offices giving them beautiful views of
the surrounding landscape and cityscape, without compromising
the same important sightlines for the student spaces.
FALCONER
HALL
The enclosed garden extending from the Philosopher’s Walk/
Ground Level to the top floor admits light to all the interior
spaces, even those away from the periphery of the building.
Moreover, the classroom spaces on the Philosopher’s Walk Level
either face the exterior green spaces or have natural admitted
by skylights from above. Graduate and undergraduate students
are all readily served by meeting rooms on their respective levels
and the student organizations and journals all have ample space
among the other student spaces.
FLAVELLE
HOUSE
PHILOSOPHER’S
WALK
QUEEN’S
PARK
LOCATION OF
INTERPRETIVE
CREEK ELEMENT
Extending toward the music faculty, the building gives a definite
and positive shape to the exterior courtyard. Where it meets the
music building the form creates new spaces for practice rooms
and private lessons, program elements for which the Music
School is currently in desperate need. The architectural form
turns and extends back toward Queens Park , touching down
next to Falconer Hall, which the Music Faculty will adopt as its
own. Falconer Hall itself can successfully house the academic
offices and several administrative functions for the Faculty of
Music. The projecting volume of the new building houses the new
recital hall and serves to give the Music School a much needed
prominent presence along Queen’s Park Avenue. Simultaneously,
the projecting element positively shapes the Queen’s Park
Avenue forecourt between the two faculties, enhancing the space
where formal arrivals will often take place.
As the straight bar of the new building continues along the
Philosopher’s Walk, it stretches toward the Music Faculty’s stage
tower. Then, turning toward the current planetarium site, it ends
poetically, suggesting an elegant form to what may in the future
become part of the ROM expansion.
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AERIAL VIEW
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AERIAL VIEW - Phase 1 scenario
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VIEW FROM CORNER OF HOSKIN AVENUE
AND QUEEN’S PARK AVENUE
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PHILOSOPHER’S WALK - LOOKING NORTH
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EXTERIOR COURTYARD
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VIEW TOward EXTERIOR COURTYARD and reading room
FROM PHILOSOPHER’S WALK - PhaSE 1 scenario
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SITE PLAN
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SITE PLAN - pHASE 1 scenario
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massing model
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massing model
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massing model
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massing model
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PLAN LEVEL 1
QUEEN’S PARK
1:750
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PLAN LEVEL 3
1:750
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EAST - WEST SECTION
1:500
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NORTH-SOUTH SECTION
1:500
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NORTH-SOUTH elevation
seen from philosopher’s walk
faculty of law expansion
university of toronto
SAUCIER + PERROTTE
FACULTY OF LAW EXPANSION AND
PRECINCT plan
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario
SAUCIER + PERROTTE ARCHITECTES
in collaboration with
JANET ROSENBERG + ASSOCIATES
Landscape Architects + Urban Designers
Hallsall Associates
Structural and Sustainability
Andre SchEinman
Heritage Consultant