V+A completed a phased renovation on the second floor of University of Toronto Mississauga’s W.G. Davis Building. Outdated and inefficient laboratory spaces were transformed into shared teaching labs to be utilized by the faculties of Earth Sciences, Anthropology, Geography, Psychology, Forensic Science and Biology, in order to support undergraduate research initiatives.

The design introduced flexible furniture layouts to accommodate a wide range of uses by different faculties for both individual study and collaborative exercises. Versatile storage solutions were specifically designed to meet equipment requirements. Multimedia requirements for different configurations were mounted and hung in order to maximize the efficiency of each room. Additionally, the space was required to support a wide variety of experiments, which require additional power and exhaust. Specialty Thermostat & HVAC systems were installed in each lab in order to mitigate noise and vibrations, without sacrificing adequate ventilation.

The construction work was carried out in two phases, allowing occupancy of half the area to become opeable in a shorter time frame. Phase One was completed in September 2016, and Phase Two was completed in January 2017.