Lash Miller Chemistry Building Expansion
Toronto, ON

The Lash Miller Chemistry Building Expansion will house the University of Toronto’s Acceleration Consortium – recipient of a $200-million dollar Canada First Research Excellence Fund grant, the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university. Conceived as a ‘self-driving lab’, the Acceleration Consortium is the first facility of its kind in Canada focused on evolving AI-based, high-throughput automated chemistry.

The facility will also expand research space for the Faculty of Arts & Science ’s Department of Chemistry - with collaborative meeting spaces strategically located at key circulation nodes to encourage cross pollination and innovation.

A gracious main floor lobby and atrium welcome students and staff to new state-of-the art, active learning spaces designed to maximize accessibility and promote interactive teaching for both graduate and undergraduate arts and sciences courses.

The building utilizes large expanses of rendered steel and glass to maximize the feeling of ‘science on display’. The composition creates an iconic landmark at the heart of the St. George Campus, signaling the University of Toronto’s commitment to research and innovation.

The Lash Miller Chemistry Building Expansion team-based collaboration includes Mikkelsen Architects and Cumulus Architects, mcCallumSather, ARUP Canada, Aercoustics, RWDI, Bousfields, BTY Group, Brian Ballantyne Specifications, LMDG, Quinn Design Associates, Soberman Engineering, and Spyder SC.

The project is under construction with completion slated for 2026.

Project Team

Architecture: Mikkelsen Architects + Cumulus Architects
Engineering: Arup Canada
Laboratory Design: mcCallumSather
Acoustics, Vibration, & Environmental Noise: Aercoustics
Environmental Air Quality, Snow Loading, and Pedestrian Wind: RWDI
Urban Planning: Bousfields
Architectural Specifications: Brian Ballantyne Specifications
Building Code & Accessibility: LMDG
Cost Consulting: BTY Group
Landscape Architecture: Quinn Design Associates
Vertical Transportation: Soberman Engineering
Hardware: Spyder SC

Client: University of Toronto, Faculty of Arts & Science
Construction Manager: Urbacon