A new home away from home: Applications open for UTM's New Residence Building

Incoming undergrads looking to live on campus can now apply for a spot at the University of Toronto Mississauga’s newest residence. 

On track to open this fall, the New Residence Building will include 400 beds, bringing the total number of students housed at UTM to approximately 2,000.

It’s part of a tri-campus investment to meet the growing need for student housing. It’s also the first new residence at UTM since the opening of Oscar Peterson Hall in 2007.

Designed with a focus on strengthening community, the six-storey structure will have areas for social and educational programs, community kitchens on each floor, a meeting room, a music room, study and lounge spaces and more. 

“The new residence is the only one of its kind in our inventory,” said Jen Skinner, assistant director of residence administration and operations at UTM’s Student Housing and Residence Life.

The co-ed building will have 115 single bedrooms, 135 double bedrooms and 15 bedrooms for support staff such as dons. 

Skinner said the university is particularly excited about the addition of an event space in the new residence that can hold more than 100 people for programming.

“We don't (currently) have a space that big dedicated to residents’ use,” she said, noting students in any of the campus residences will be able to use it.

“This building is designed with significant community space in order to help students connect with each other.”

Many of the building’s new amenities were added after consultations with UTM residents.

“We definitely worked with students to get information,” said Skinner. “We know that in our other buildings we just never have enough community and communal space, so we've tried to maximize and make the spaces a little bit bigger so they can gather.”

In response to suggestions from other residences, study spaces in the new building will also be set up for a variety of uses.

“We’ve used modular furniture so students can tailor it to their needs, whether you just want to be reading in the space, need space out of your room to do quiet studying or doing group work,” Skinner said. 

“We've tried to do everything we can, based on the feedback from students or what we’ve seen in their use, to give them spaces that will allow them to do what they need.”

The building’s washrooms are also being built along a new format, with three clusters of bathrooms on each floor. Each cluster will have three to four single private-use bathrooms, with a shower, sink and toilet. Bathrooms are single-use, meaning residents will not share with other students and have full privacy while in the washrooms. 

The building’s design is a collaboration between Toronto-based architects Montgomery Sisam and Denmark-based firm Christensen & Co., with an emphasis on UTM’s Campus Master Plan, strategic framework and sustainability goals. 

The project, being constructed by Multiplex Construction Canada, is also pursuing a silver certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which will confirm the building has met certain standards for sustainable design and energy efficiency. 

The exterior will feature wood and stone cladding with copper-toned aluminum on the upper levels to complement the natural surroundings. There are also plans to revitalize a pedestrian plaza and link new and existing pathways through the campus's natural landscape.   

“It has been designed to really bring the outdoors in,” Skinner said of the building. “It's bright and airy, with lots of glass.” 

Students have until June 8 to apply for residence at UTM. 

Demand for on-campus housing is high, with the New Residence Building going a significant way towards helping expand UTM’s housing options. 

“More students want to live on campus, and we are working to make that happen,” Brian Cunha, the director of Student Housing and Residence Life had said when the New Residence Building was announced in 2024. 

“This new residence will help foster student success by enhancing the overall experience and encouraging collaboration and a sense of belonging on campus.”   

UTM’s residence inventory also includes Roy Ivor Hall, Erindale Hall, Schreiberwood, MaGrath Valley, McLuhan Court, Putnam Place and Leacock Lane.