While some might imagine college housing as dark and dusty spaces, a new dormitory at the University of Toronto Scarborough is demonstrating what is possible when design teams prioritize energy efficiency and a connection to nature.
As detailed by Dezeen, Handel Architects' Harmony Commons project, which can house up to 746 first-year students, has received its official designation as a passive house building from the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany.
According to the online magazine, Harmony Commons is the largest passive house dormitory worldwide as well as the largest passive building in Canada.
While there are various institutions and organizations certified to formally recognize passive designs based on specific standards, the concept remains the same: Passive buildings must be energy-efficient, resulting in lower utility bills, increased comfort levels, and reduced levels of the air pollution that causes global temperatures to rise.
Many passive buildings also have features such as solar panels that improve climate resiliency in the event of grid outages.
As for Harmony Commons, Handel Architects told Dezeen that it "uses close to 70% less energy in peak heating conditions" — a significant difference considering Toronto's cold winters. The U-shaped design also helps students feel a connection to the outdoors. According to multiple studies, spending time in nature is beneficial for mental health.
"Taking advantage of the natural surroundings, the building has been sited and shaped so that as many occupied spaces as possible feel a connection to the outside," the New York-based firm explains on its website. "A preserved, historic grove of trees to the north becomes a focal point for many of the units, common rooms, and the large dining hall at ground level."
Other features include windows that maximize natural light without contributing to heat loss and all-electric systems that result in 90% less planet-warming pollution per person in "peak conditions," according to Handel Architects. A commercial kitchen that dishes up more than 3,000 meals every day can operate without any dirty fuels on site.
The project, completed in 2023, also showcases how adopting passive design principles can support a transition to cleaner grids, as the architecture firm highlighted to Dezeen.
"What's astonishing is how consistent the energy use is from month to month," the team said. "This is an important note because designing buildings to have demand curves that are consistent is critical to building out a renewable grid."
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