多伦多大学和谐公地宿舍丨加拿大多伦多丨Handel Architects

A university building in Toronto by Handel Architects has received formal recognition as a Passive House project, making it "the largest Passive House building in Canada".

Harmony Commons is a dormitory building at the University of Toronto Scarborough that accommodates 746 first-year students and contains a dining hall and offices.

A university dormitory by Handel Architects has received Passive House recognition. The photo is by CORE Architects. The top photo is by Fengate Asset Management

Located in the northern area of the campus, the building is composed of three volumes organised in a U-shape, with a raised, central courtyard placed in the centre.

The courtyard sits on top of the dining hall, which is bordered by a glass facade.

The building contains dormitories, a dining hall and offices. The photo is by CORE Architects

Its shape and orientation were driven by "the organisation of a traditional low-rise campus quad" as well as a desire to provide a connection to nature for students.

"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," said Handel Architects, which is headquartered in New York.

The building is made of three major volumes organised in a U-shape. The photo is by Handel Architects

"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."

Completed in 2023, it recently received designation as a Passive House building, recognised by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany, a certification that means it meets certain energy use standards.

A ground-level dining hall is bordered by a glass wall and its underneath a courtyard. The photo is by Ryan Fung

The certification marks the building as the largest Passive House building in Canada and the largest dormitory building in the world to receive the recognition, according to the team.

"The announcement marks yet another addition to Handel's growing portfolio of Passive House projects, and makes Harmony Commons the largest Passive House building in Canada—as well as the largest dormitory anywhere in the world – to qualify for certification," it said. 

Compared to an older building on the campus, it uses 70 per cent less energy. The photo is by Tom Arban

The team used a variety of strategies for the building to achieve the certification, including a"high-performance envelope, low-energy systems, and heat recovery from ventilation exhaust and wastewater".

It also runs on all-electric and was outfitted with windows sized to maximise natural light, while reducing heat loss.

Compared to another dormitory building on the campus built in 2003, Harmony Commons "uses close to 70 per cent less energy in peak heating conditions" according to Handel Architects.

In studying the building over eight months, the studio found it also uses energy more consistently, which it noted is an important factor in reducing overall cost and exertion on an electricity grid.

It recently received its Passive House building certification, making it the largest in Canada according to the team. The photo is by Tom Arban

"What's astonishing is how consistent the energy use is from month-to-month," said the team.

"This is an important note because designing buildings to have demand curves that are consistent is critical to building out a renewable grid."

Handel recently completed the "world's largest Passive House office" in Boston and also wrapped another Boston building in a white, textured facade.

The photography is courtesy of Handel Architects