The Student Wellbeing Centre (SWC) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) represents a bold commitment to supporting student health and wellness as an integral part of campus life. The university selected a prime site at the heart of its downtown campus to bring together wellness programs that are currently dispersed under one roof.
A high-visibility location is matched with a transparent design that aspires to embrace the community and create a restorative setting for students and staff, featuring welcoming, warm, and non-clinical spaces where students can feel at home.
O’Keefe House, a heritage building that was formerly a student residence, stands on the narrow corner site and will be preserved, renovated, and incorporated into the program. An eight-story, L-shaped tower enfolds and emerges from this historic house, with a double-height green atrium providing a buffer between the heritage component and the tower on the west elevation.
A new entrance for O’Keefe House faces the pedestrianized Gould Street, while the tower provides access from Bond Street. The curtain wall will have 50 percent frit, and interior pre-fabricated wood fins will further limit solar heat gain, providing shading and privacy while maintaining views to the main campus.
The design of the SWC conveys a compelling message of TMU’s priority to foster community and belonging.