By: Liora Langman, Staff Writer
Since Sunday, October 2nd, 2022, Trinity’s parking lot by the Larkin building has been permanently closed in preparation for the construction of Trinity’s new Lawson Center for Sustainability. Phase 1 of this architectural project—which focuses on the early workings of excavation, utilities relocation, and site servicing and is bordered by the Varsity Stadium, the Philosopher’s Walk, Trinity College proper, Gerald Larkin Building, and the George Ignatieff Theatre—is currently ongoing and is expected to span from October 2022 through March 2023.
The map (above) indicates the approximate location of the construction site (shaded in red).
Made possible through a generous donation of $10 million by Trinity Alumnus Brian Lawson and UofT Alumna Joannah Lawson, the Lawson Center for Sustainability is part of Trinity College’s integrated sustainability initiative that aims to make sustainability education and sustainable practices an active part of Trinity students’ daily lives, acting as a “living lab”.
Aerial view of the Trinity College campus, with the new Lawson Centre for Sustainability
This will be a low-rise building spanning roughly 14,000 square meters, built using sustainable design methods. Home to student residences, communal spaces, dining areas, seminar rooms, faculty offices, and flexible event and learning spaces, it will be connecting sustainability studies from inside the classroom to the outside world. For example, it will host the Farm to Table program with spaces for urban farming and a community kitchen.
The Lawson Center for Sustainability will be completed in the spring of 2025, and ready for occupancy in the fall of 2025.
