Toronto, ON
ZAS is the Prime Architect and coordinating design firm for a major new addition to the iconic Vari Hall gateway building on the Keele Campus of York University. The project delivery method for the Vari Hall addition is an Integrated Project Delivery approach (IPD), which is a first for York University. The IPD team is comprised of the University, ZAS, Gillam Construction Group as the builder, as well as a series of consultant and trade partners. York had originally proposed the addition of a third and fourth floor to the south wing of Vari Hall to advance the priorities of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) department and that of the University Academic Plan. During the validation process, the team determined and recommended that the project be shifted from a vertical additional to a lateral addition, linked to the existing building by two bridges at the upper levels. The addition’s massing takes into consideration the Vari Hall architecture, but also nods to the neighboring heritage-designated Ross Building, as well as the newer Student Centre. It also helps resolve an urban design condition by infilling and activating what is now a more secluded and underutilized area of the Campus. The 4-storey addition contains 2 floors of technology enhanced classrooms at the ground and second levels, the focal point of which is an indigenous classroom which occupies a prominent location and is visually expressed on the south elevation. The 3rd and 4th floors include flexible tabletop research spaces, which are arranged to be open, transparent, and forward facing.
Client
York University
Size
38,000 sf
Program
7 Semi active classrooms
Indigenous classroom
Immersive classroom
Crush spaces
Research spaces
Research admin areas
Staff lounges
Indoor/ outdoor seating