One of the most memorable aspects of the collegiate experience is feeling a sense of place and belonging. The Lawson Centre for Sustainability is designed to enhance both, offering not only residential space but also dedicated space for dining, meeting and studying that is designed to put the well-beings of students first. It will be a sanctuary for all Trinity students – those commuting and living in residence. It will be a place to call home in the heart of the city and within the country’s largest university.
“We are delighted to support the creation of a “living lab” that showcases the importance of sustainability and demonstrates what is possible. Through the Living Trinity Campaign, we can come together as a community to inspire brilliant minds to create the transformative change that the world needs.”
— Brian & Joannah Lawson
Brian ’82 & Joannah Lawson (Master of Industrial Relations ’89, U of T) added to their legacy at U of T with a foundational $10 million gift to fund the Trinity Integrated Sustainability Initiative, adding $4 million in 2024 to support the new building.
Trinity College is in the enviable position of possessing a beautiful site on St. George Campus, north of the Gerald Larkin Building and extending east to Philosopher’s Walk. The low-rise building of roughly 14,000 square metres features generous dining and social space and accommodates up to 350 beds alongside several floors of dedicated teaching and learning space. This contemporary expression of the glorious collegiate model will be designed and built with a commitment to sustainable practices while enhancing the space we can offer our students.
A Commitment to Sustainability
Our Integrated Sustainability Initiative takes Trinity’s commitment to sustainability to a new level, helping to shape everything from academic programming to research opportunities to the relationship of our students with the food they eat.
The Lawson Centre for Sustainability is an essential component of the initiative, incorporating a unique Farm to Table program with spaces for urban farming and a Community Kitchen designed to complement sustainability studies in the classroom. In addition, the building will introduce sustainable practices directly into the food preparation space through measures such as energy-efficient kitchen design, small-footprint kitchens, advanced composting technologies, and new approaches to minimizing food waste.