Schulich School of Business

York University, Toronto, ON

The Schulich School of Business integrates an educational facility for team teaching and learning with luxury residential dwellings in a corporate learning complex. Configured to advance the urban design master plan goals of York University, the building is composed of individually articulated structures, comprising 340,000 square feet and occupying a full campus block.

The Executive Learning Centre (ELC) offers both short-term and long-term residence programs to business executives and corporations. Massing, materials, and a shared formal language unite the three structures into an experiential whole. The ELC accommodates mid-career students who attend special classes while staying in a hotel attached to the school. The design caters to executive-level expectations by taking cues from boutique hotels and elegant business settings.

The building features a strong sense of privacy, spectacular views, and a landscaped courtyard. Stylish guest suites are equipped with fully integrated desks and work areas, and enhanced classrooms have comfortable furniture. Other amenities include a fitness facility, lounges equipped with internet access, and a double-height dining room serving fine food in an elegant setting.

The School of Business won the 2007 Ontario Association of Architects Design Excellence Award, the 2006 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, and the 2004 Toronto Construction Association’s ‘Best of the Best.’

Project Facts
Client
York University
Location
Toronto, ON
Status
Completed 2003
Size
340,000 sq. ft.
Partner
Siamak Hariri
Project
Team
Young + Wright Architectural
Selected Awards

2007 – Ontario Association of Architects, Design Excellence Award

2006 – Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Governor General’s Medal in Architecture

2005 – City of Toronto, Architecture and Urban Design Awards, Honourable Mention, Buildings in Context

Full Awards List

Sketch by Siamak Hariri

“Our mandate was 'world-class' building, and it is a widely-held view that this is what we received. The Governor General’s Award confirmed the level of excellence we demanded. Siamak Hariri is an outstanding designer, with an ability to synthesize complex programmatic elements into forceful design concepts. He delivered what was promised, and what we expected.”

—James McKellar, Associate Dean, York University

The building’s radiused corners break down the monolithic quality of the volumes, and its arms (which pick up the curvature of the adjacent roadway) physically separate functions programmatically and thematically.

Model Study

Schulich’s architectural vocabulary is based on quality, craftsmanship and natural materials. Further, the longevity of the building was taken into consideration with enduring and easily maintained materials. The façades are clad in a continuous undulating ribbon of cut limestone, glass, and heavy-bronze details.

The building is constructed of high-quality, local natural materials such as Algonquin limestone from Owen Sound, Canadian copper, and wood from Canadian and European white oak. The bamboo flooring and concrete mixed with recycled admixture are examples of closed-loop materials that are chosen to help meet and exceed the energy performance benchmark defined by the Model National Energy Code (MNEC).

In order to support progressive teaching and learning methods, the Schulich School of Business is designed with an array of classroom styles tailored to suit a range of group sizes, each featuring built-in A/V systems.