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View Our Progress

Lawson Centre for Sustainability

Construction is well underway for Trinity College’s new mass timber, zero carbon and LEED platinum building that uses geothermal heating and cooling as well as rooftop photovoltaics and an underground cistern for rainwater collection and reuse. The Lawson Centre for Sustainability will provide critical residential, academic and community spaces for the community, and features a rooftop farm and a community kitchen to make sustainability part of daily life at the College.

Bird’s-Eye View of the Construction Site

The solar-powered camera looks westward from Philosopher’s Walk to capture photos of the entire construction site: Trinity College proper is on the left (south); the Gerald Larkin Building is on the far left (along Devonshire Place); the construction zone is in the centre (north field and former parking lot); and the U of T Varsity Centre is on the right (north). The timelapse video below is 1 minute and 30 seconds long.

View Our Progress: Construction Log

	July 2024 to September 2024 Nevil Thomas Wing (Centre Wing): mass timber installation is ongoing; Whiteside House (East Wing): work on interior finishes begins; and work on residence room bathrooms, tiling, wall finishes and paint also begins.
	April to June 2024 Whiteside House (East Wing) Structural mass timber and roofing work – completed; Local limestone and brick facade work – ongoing; Window installation (triple glazed, with bird fritting) – completed. Nevil Thomas Wing (Centre Wing) Basement concrete work (foundation walls, slab on grade, structural columns) – ongoing. All Locations: Mechanical and electrical fit-out – ongoing.
	January to March 2024 Foundation work, concrete structures and mass timber Basement concrete slab and mechanical/electrical work; Second stairwell core pour and foundation wall pour (centre wing); Preparatory work for tunnel opening & waterproofing (connects the new building to Trinity proper); Mass timber installation begins on the east wing.
	One-Year Timelapse: January 9, 2023 to January 9, 2024 Marking the first year with our solar-powered camera! View the timelapse video of the construction site (Jan. 9, 2023 to Jan. 9, 2024): from preliminary excavation, geothermal drilling, site servicing work, and installation of rainwater cistern, to cranes assembly, bulk excavation, foundation work across building footprint, pouring of concrete structures to the first delivery of mass timber! (Content warning: this video contains flashing images as part of the timelapse)
	October to December 2023 Excavation, foundation work & concrete structures Concrete structure for stairs on eastern side takes shape; Bulk excavation, shoring & foundation work and detailed excavation continues; Concrete columns and foundation walls poured; 3rd floor of eastern stairwell core started; 1st delivery of mass timber arrived in December.
	View our Progress over the First Year of Construction: Fall 2022 to September 2023 Accessible text \| Coming Soon: Lawson Centre for Sustainability Rendering: View of main entrance from Devonshire Place VIEW OUR PROGRESS (Images): Fall 2022: mobilization & site preparations January 2023: preliminary excavation February 2023: geothermal drilling & site servicing work March 2023: 57 boreholes drilled & site servicing work April 2023: site servicing, underground electrical work & shoring May 2023: stormwater retention tanks & crane bases installed June 2023: assembly of two construction cranes July 2023: bulk excavation work begins August 2023: excavation & foundation work preparations Fall 2023: excavation continues & mass timber construction to begin Rendering: George and Martha Butterfield Rooftop Farm & Surrounding Landscape Lawson Centre for Sustainability: Opening 2025
	July to September 2023 Bulk excavation and foundation work across building footprint Bulk excavation is underway with removal of soil, rock & other material to prepare for foundation work; Bulk excavation in the east wing completed; Foundation work & concrete pours start in the east wing; Bulk excavation continues in the south & west wings.
	April to June 2023 Site servicing work completed, cistern installed and cranes assembled Site servicing and duct bank routing work completed; Laneway south of Varsity Stadium reopens; Stormwater retention tank installed; Concrete poured for 2 crane bases and cranes assembled; Bulk excavation & foundation work begin.
	January to March 2023 Preliminary excavation, geothermal drilling & site servicing work Preliminary excavation and geothermal work continues (57 geothermal boreholes drilled); Temporary road installed through the construction site; Geothermal installation is completed, and all tie-ins finished; Work on site servicing and duct bank routing begins.
	October to December 2022 Mobilization & Site Preparations Parking lot is permanently closed; Construction mobilization begins, equipment arrives & red hoarding is installed; Excess soil is removed in preparation for geothermal drilling; Geothermal drilling begins with wells on the south-west end of the construction site.

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