A guide to everything you need to know about the proposal for a major renovation at Innis College.

How it all started

The idea to renovate and expand the current college building began about three years ago and involved meticulous research before it could even get off the ground. Now, three years later, the project has moved into its consultation and proposal stage.

The architecture firm selected to design the new building is Montgomery Sisam, a firm that prides itself on including as many stakeholders and consultants in the process as possible. After being chosen to lead the project, the architects began a thorough consultation process to determine what the Innis community wanted to see in the new building. The firm met and consulted with Innis College staff, faculty, and students to generate ideas and gauge the needs of the proposed space.

The student consultation session, led by principal architect and project manager Daniel Ling, truly demonstrated the firm’s commitment to making the new college building a space for Innis students. In January, about fifteen students gathered in the Innis Residence Events Room to share ideas for the new building and to let the architects know what is lacking in the current space.

During this consultation, students produced a list of what they thought the main goals of the project should be. The top changes students wanted to see were increased accessibility and more spaces for students, including study spaces, a larger commuter lounge, and designated offices for student groups such as the ICSS, the Innis Herald, CINSSU, and URSSU. The students were also clear that they wanted to maintain a strong community within Innis and ensure that the new space would continue to promote this value.

The architects then combined these suggestions with those of faculty and staff to inform their preliminary designs. Building projects always have their limitations, and not every desire of every Innis stakeholder can always be incorporated, but the proposed designs for the Innis College renovation will, I think, make everyone very happy.

The proposal

The preliminary designs for the new college building were unveiled at the Town Hall meeting on February 2nd. Students, staff and faculty were invited to view the designs and give their feedback on the proposed space.

The architects from Montgomery Sisam created two proposed designs; one “heritage design” which maintains the old Victorian house which faces onto Sussex Avenue, and another “non-heritage” design which will see the Old House demolished and completely replaced with a new building. The chosen design will depend in part on whether or not the City of Toronto designates the Old House as a heritage site, an appraisal process which is currently underway. While the designs vary slightly, they are largely the same in layout and content.

Both designs will focus on completely renovating the west wing of the building. This will include expanding the west wing back into the existing greenspace. The architects have also partnered with a landscape company, Brook McIlroy, to ensure that the smaller quad created by the renovation will be warm, inviting, and functional. The other physical changes of the design include making the college fully accessible by adding a new elevator and linking the upper floors of both wings to increase continuity and usable space within the college.

The core needs identified by the architects were increased and improved student spaces, a student learning and resource centre, and new classrooms and offices. Both plans for the renovation focus on creating a functional space that allows for these diversified uses.

In my opinion, both designs are pretty incredible. The big changes to look for in the new design include a larger cafe and study space with floor to ceiling windows on three sides, a wider hallway outside of Town Hall (because anyone who has had class there knows how tight it is), and a fully accessible rooftop terrace that replaces most of the green space lost in the quad. The plans also include a much larger commuter lounge, bookable study and meeting rooms, and accessible washrooms on every floor.

Of course, these are the first designs for the project and they have not been finalized, but the new building looks very promising. The architects at Montgomery Sisam took the recommendations of the community to heart and produced a design for a college building that better serves the needs of all of its members.

What happens next

While the proposed designs for the college look incredible, the building itself is far from undergoing any kind of large-scale renovation in the near future The architects still need to consult with various stakeholders, particularly individuals in the neighbourhood, as well as various experts before any design can be finalized and implemented. Hopefully this process will be completed by April of this year, and after approval from the university, the design can be finalized. This final design will also include a feasibility study which will indicate approximately what the project will cost.

However, don’t expect construction to start anytime soon. Once a final design is produced, the college will begin fundraising to pay for the new building. It’s hard to gauge the amount of time this stage will take, as it largely depends on the response from donors and will likely involve various campaigns to build support for the new Innis building.

Regardless of the timeline, the Innis College renovation is something to be excited about. It’s a space being designed based on the needs and hopes of the Innis community, and with that focus at the core of the project, it’s sure to be a success.

While current students won’t have a chance to take advantage of the new building during their studies at U of T, it will be an exciting place to come back to as alumni one day. And if you’re really dying to get the most out of the space, you can always wait a few years to become a Later Life Learner.

Opinions & Quotes:
Responses have been edited slightly for length and clarity

Principal Charlie Keil:

What excites you most about the proposal for the new building?

“It’s difficult to limit my enthusiasm to only one aspect, but if I were to name three, they would be: a greatly expanded amount of dedicated space for students, which they have deserved for so long; a new home for the Innis library, which will allow for integration of the Writing Centre; and consistent interaction between the inside of the building and exterior spaces, both through the changed design of the new building and the creation of more opportunities for visual and physical connection with the outdoors.”