Deerfield Hall

Deerfield Hall receives urban design award

Nicolle Wahl

U of T Mississauga’s Deerfield Hall received an Award of Excellence at last night’s 2016 Mississauga Urban Design Awards.

The award recognizes Deerfield Hall for excellence in multiple design areas, including contributing to the quality of its community, environmental sustainability, innovation and technical execution. The jury members described the building, opened in 2014, as “beautiful” and “elegant”.

“I’m delighted that the Mississauga Urban Design Awards have recognized Deerfield Hall with an Award of Excellence,” says Paul Donoghue, chief administrative officer at U of T Mississauga. “This building provides an outstanding space for teaching and learning, and creates a beautiful and functional space for our campus community. It’s an outstanding architectural addition to campus, but even more important, it will further improve the academic experience for our students."

The judges applauded how building’s architect, Andrew Frontini of Perkins + Will, incorporated the uneven grading around the building and turned what could have been a challenge into an attribute. They praised the building’s interior and exterior finishes, and noted that the glazing provides views of the colourful green roofs and the natural campus scenery.

Deerfield Hall uses low-flow plumbing fixtures and a rainwater reuse system, which greatly reduce water use in the building as compared to a conventional building. The building, certified as LEED silver, uses energy-efficient mechanical systems and lighting. Many of the building materials were recycled and locally sourced content, and the builders also used low-emitting paints, adhesives, and sealants, which also helps to improve indoor air quality.

The construction of Deerfield Hall was the first portion of a multi-phase project to replace the North Building, the first structure built at UTM. A second phase—a 210,000-square-foot, six storey building also designed by Andrew Frontini—is scheduled to open in summer 2018.