U of T unveils design for Temerty Building
New hub to advance U of T’s leadership in science, medicine and biomedical innovation
The University of Toronto has unveiled the design of its new Temerty Building — a landmark hub for research and education that will bring together researchers, learners and clinicians to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in human health.
The 9-storey, 388,000-square-foot facility will bring together the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Arts & Science at the heart of the St. George campus on King’s College Circle, on the site of the Medical Sciences Building’s west wing. Envisioned as a defining space for the university’s next century, it will also serve as a central gathering place for convocation receptions, alumni reunions and other major events.
“The Temerty Building will be an iconic new landmark where people, ideas and disciplines can converge in the service of human health, science and learning,” said U of T President Melanie Woodin. “It will also provide a beautiful central venue for the celebration of key milestones in the life of the university community.”
“The Temerty Building is a top priority for the university,” said Trevor Young, U of T’s vice-president and provost, and former dean of Temerty Medicine. “From the beginning, our vision was a welcoming environment designed to foster collaboration and serve our mission to train future generations of physicians, health professionals and researchers. Seeing that vision take shape is a testament to what our community can achieve around a shared ambition for excellence.”
From vision to reality
The project builds on a vision first articulated in Temerty Medicine’s 2018–2023 Academic Strategic Plan. Developed through consultations with faculty, staff, learners and hospital partners, the plan identified the need for a modernized facility that could unite researchers, educators and learners across health-care disciplines.
James and Louise Temerty’s historic $250-million gift to U of T in 2020 directed a significant portion toward the building, alongside other strategic investments to strengthen discovery, collaboration, innovation, equity and learner well-being across Temerty Medicine and its hospital partners.
For Jim Temerty, the project is an emblem of U of T’s vision and proven track record of impact in health research and education. In fall 2025, the Temertys committed additional support for the construction of the Temerty Building, underscoring the family’s continued confidence in the project’s vision and impact.
“Our family is deeply honoured to support this project,” he said. “The Temerty Building will be a place where brilliant minds from across disciplines come together to solve the toughest health challenges of our time. We are excited to see it come to life and to know it will serve generations of students, researchers and health leaders — and make a difference to the health of people here in Canada and around the world.”
Originally conceived as a redevelopment of the Medical Sciences Building’s west wing, the project has evolved into an architectural landmark to be co-occupied by Temerty Medicine and the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of Cell & Systems Biology.
By design, the building will bring together researchers studying the fundamental behaviour of cells and biological systems with those focused on biomedical and clinical outcomes, creating new opportunities for connection and discovery across disciplines.
As Canada’s single largest contributor of physicians and health specialists, U of T will use these spaces to equip the next generation of health-care professionals with the skills and experience needed to lead a rapidly evolving system.
“This building represents an extraordinary opportunity to connect our strengths in cell and systems biology with the transformative work happening in medicine,” said Stephen Wright, interim dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. “By bringing together researchers and learners from both faculties, the Temerty Building will spark new collaborations and lay the foundation for discoveries that can improve lives around the world. It’s more than a new space — it’s a functional home where we can reimagine what’s possible in health.”
A modern, inclusive, sustainable hub for learning and discovery
Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects and MVRDV, in collaboration with Indigenous firm Two Row Architect, the Temerty Building will meet the evolving needs of learners and scientists while reflecting U of T's deep commitment to inclusion and sustainability.
"The Temerty Building's design is about bridging worlds," said Donald Schmitt, principal architect at Diamond Schmitt Architects. "It prioritizes functionality and durability, but also ensures the building will be warm and inviting. It supports deep focus, while fostering connection within a modern, light-filled space that fits seamlessly into the iconic landscape of King's College Circle."
"The design offers excellent research and learning facilities, along with generous communal spaces where people can forge connections and exchange ideas — the kind of productive friction found in the best research environments," said Nathalie de Vries, founding partner at MVRDV. "Transparent, open and welcoming, the building brings new energy to the heart of the campus."
Flexible classrooms and seminar rooms will support a shift from lecture-based instruction to active, collaborative learning, with adaptable layouts and integrated technology connecting students and instructors across U of T's tri-campus network and with partners across Ontario and beyond.
Multiple floors of state-of-the-art wet and dry laboratories will support the work of dozens of principal investigators from both Temerty Medicine and the Faculty of Arts & Science, including specialized facilities for infectious disease research and aquatic disease models. Dedicated space is also planned for computational scientists — researchers who use data analysis and mathematical modelling to understand disease and the biology of humans and other life forms — a rapidly growing field at U of T and globally.
Indigenous design principles, guided by Two Row Architect, are woven throughout the building's form and function, grounded in the Anishinaabe principle of Mino-bimaadiziwin — living in a good way — and shaped through Talking Circles with the Indigenous Advisory Circle.
"We are designing with the land, not on it, guided by the original laws and teachings that shape how we live and care for one another," said Erik Skouris, architect with Two Row. "The Seven Grandparent Teachings inform the seven lab floors, while the landscape incorporates the four sacred medicines and honours Taddle Creek and Lake Iroquois as life-giving forces."
Natural materials, terraced forms inspired by the Niagara Escarpment, and a reimagined Longhouse-oriented gathering space create environments that feel welcoming, grounded, and reflective of the land and diverse communities the university serves.
Prominently located space for Temerty Medicine's Equity and Social Accountability offices — including Inclusion and Diversity, Access and Outreach, and Indigenous Health — further underscores this commitment.
The project also advances U of T's Climate Positive plan. A new district energy nodal plant will provide heating and cooling to the Temerty Building and neighbouring facilities, while on-site renewable energy generation supports the university's goal of becoming climate positive by 2050.
Project moves forward
On March 26, 2026, U of T’s Governing Council authorized preparatory work on site, marking a key milestone for the project. The full project will return to Governing Council for final approval in 2027, once detailed planning is complete.
"Projects like the Temerty Building are a testament to what’s possible when the university brings its full planning, design and project delivery expertise to bear from the very beginning,” said Scott Mabury, vice-president, operations and real etate partnerships. “The stewardship by University Planning, Design & Construction of our tri-campus lands and facilities ensures that investments of this magnitude reflect the needs of our students, researchers and the broader university community for generations to come."
The Temerty Building is U of T’s first project to use integrated project delivery — a collaborative approach that brings together designers, builders and university representatives as equal partners from the outset, rather than working in sequence. While this approach requires more time in the planning phase, it helps deliver a more integrated, purpose-built facility.
This approach is supported by a core team of planning, design and construction partners, including Smith + Andersen and RJC Engineers, along with Graham / Ball Joint Venture, Verdi Alliance, Modern Niagara and Plan Group.
Enabling works are set to begin in the latter half of 2026. Starting in July, these activities will build on site preparation already underway, including interior abatement and selective demolition within the Medical Sciences Building’s west wing, along with essential utility upgrades such as electrical updates and water main relocations.
A hub for U of T and Canada’s biomedical community
When complete, the Temerty Building will anchor Canada’s biomedical innovation corridor, strengthening connections between the university, its world-leading Toronto Academic Health Science Network partners and industry collaborators, and serving as a hub for research that directly improves the health of Ontarians.
It will be home to new centres of research excellence focused on some of the most pressing challenges in human health — from applying artificial intelligence to predict and prevent chronic disease to advancing our understanding of immune regulation, infectious disease and the biology of healthy aging.
Together, these efforts aim to produce better health outcomes, reduce pressure on the health-care system and advance made-in-Canada solutions with global reach.
“This is more than a building — it’s a home that will serve our entire community and beyond,” said Lisa Robinson, dean of Temerty Medicine and vice provost, relations with health care institutions. “It will connect disciplines, strengthen partnerships with our world-class hospitals, and provide our faculty and learners with the tools and spaces they need to innovate and lead.”
“And as a proud U of T alumna, I’m especially excited that it will also serve as a venue for convocation and other celebrations — places where students and their families will create memories that last a lifetime.”
“Now, as we look forward to marking U of T’s 200th anniversary in 2027, the Temerty Building stands as both a testament to our past achievements and an invitation to our community to help shape the future of health, discovery and education,” said David Palmer, U of T’s vice president of advancement.
