Page 7 - Ryerson University

respecting the needs of others.”
maximizing the land available for university uses.
This has been achieved through a high percentage
of windows at street-level, the deliberate placement
of east-west doors to create traffic through its main
floor, and numerous “observation points” within
and outside the building - including a lane-facing
window looking into the basement fabrication zone.
“In many ways, the project is an expression of
Ryerson’s Master Plan, as it provides outstanding
design that reflects downtown Toronto while
enhancing the pedestrian experience within a
compact campus,” says Chung. “The Daphne
Cockwell project involved the complete
redevelopment of a surface parking lot into a state-
of-the-art teaching, study and residence building
serving numerous departments. The project
Photo Credit: Alyssa Katherine Faoro involved substantial consultations with students,
faculty members, service providers and neighbours
in order to achieve an urban form and final design
that responded to the university’s needs while
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Users of the building were at the heart of the
design, and accessibility was a top priority. Chung
says all classrooms, labs, offices and entrances are
accessible. All academic student spaces, such as
classrooms, labs and seminar rooms, have assistive
listening technology to improve communication for
individuals who are hard of hearing. The system can
be accessed using wireless headphones or through
an app on a user’s phone. Barrier-free washrooms
are available on all floors and the building has
an infant feeding room, which is available to all
members of the Ryerson community.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
As part of Ryerson’s commitment to advancing
sustainability on campus and within its community
and our dedication to reducing our energy
consumption and reducing our carbon footprint, the
DCC was designed to meet robust sustainability
targets, says Chung, and has met LEED Gold
certification targets.
Of particular interest is the urban farming which will
operate on a portion of its roof. “This will be the first
purpose-built green roof for food production under
the established Toronto Green Roof By-law,” says
Chung. “It will expand the capacity of the Ryerson
Urban Farm which operates on a neighbouring
building and grows fresh vegetables that are used
by Ryerson Food Services and sold on campus.”
www.ryerson.ca