The University of Toronto, as with many other areas in Toronto – and Canada, for that matter, is home to a plethora of historic, architecturally exquisite buildings that have been renovated to accommodate the demands of modern day requirements, including the perpetuation of “green” standards of sustainable building that is so critical in construction projects today.
Historic/heritage buildings are inherently sustainable, as preservation is at the very core of sustainability: the use of original infrastructure and building material. Structures built a hundred or more years ago were traditionally erected with sustainable attributes designed to respond to climate and location. And that being the case, current day’s sustainable technology is able to supplement those inherent features, while at the same time maintaining a building’s historic character. 
But even taking into account the renovation/restoration project as a “recycling” project, there is still a lot to be done in order to take a heritage building to the next level so that it becomes adaptable to modern day requirements – it’s a task that is definitely not without its challenges.
A superb example of a building/renovation project which did just that, is the Lassonde Mining Building at the University of Toronto. The steeped-in-history structure (which originally opened in 1904) was recently “given a new lease on life for another 100 years or more.” And not only does it look brilliant in its architectural design (an impressive mix of new and old), but it won a 2014 Canada Green Building Council Award for ingenuity in both preservation and sustainability.
An article by Ian Harvey on the Daily Commercial News website cites the details of the magnificent project, including photos.
Way to do it right!
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