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The Krembil Discovery Centre

University Health Network

This project involves 170,000 sf of research laboratories as well as outpatient rehabilitation treatment floors associated and connected to the Hospital. Five and a half floors of dedicated research space will house state-of-the-art biomedical research facilities, and KDC will be home to some of the country’s leading medical researchers.

  • Project-UHNKDC-01
  • Proposed 'Healing Garden'

    Proposed 'Healing Garden'

  • Corridor with views through glazed walls into Research Labs and Write-up Areas

    Corridor with views through glazed walls into Research Labs and Write-up Areas

  • Research Laboratories on Seventh Floor

    Research Laboratories on Seventh Floor

  • Research Laboratories on Seventh Floor

    Research Laboratories on Seventh Floor

  • Write-up Areas

    Write-up Areas

  • Write-up Areas

    Write-up Areas

  • Meeting Room

    Meeting Room

  • Elevator Lobby on seventh floor

    Elevator Lobby on seventh floor

  • Sky Lobby - looking south

    Sky Lobby - looking south

  • Sky Lobby - looking north on seventh floor

    Sky Lobby - looking north on seventh floor

  • Sky Lobby - looking south

    Sky Lobby - looking south

The Challenge:

NXL in association with Stantec Architecture is designing this 325,000 sf neuroscience research facility project on the Toronto Western campus of the University Health Network.

This project involves 170,000 sf of research laboratories as well as outpatient rehabilitation treatment floors associated and connected to the Hospital. Five and a half floors of dedicated research space will house state-of-the-art biomedical research facilities, and KDC will be home to some of the country’s leading medical researchers.

The KDC research areas will provide open, flexible lab environments connected to write up areas by glazed walls. Glazed spaces for interactive work are distributed within the labs. Unique to the new facility is the ‘Sky Lobby’, a series of two-floor glass enclosures built into the corner of the structure designed to promote collaboration between research groups.

The nine story tower plus penthouse, designed to blend into the dense urban Toronto Western Hospital campus, also provides educational facilities that connects the broader community. From east to west, one will be able to see through the building, and enjoy views of the Toronto skyline.

Achieving a Successful Outcome:

  • We are executing the programming, design, design development, contract documents and field review for the interior research fit-out as well as collaborating closely with Stantec to integrate the higher floor to floor heights and programmatic needs for research into the design of the overall building mass and the envelope.
  • Building on the lessons learned with UHN at the Toronto Medical Discover Tower at MaRS, NXL is designing the building from the inside out, while Stantec is designing the building from the outside in – ensuring an integration of programme, function, and urban form.

“There was no question that the Toronto Western Research Institute was in need of better research space to house its top flight research programs. The KDC will allow us to attract and retain the top medical researchers which will ensure continued advancement.” VP of Research Dr. Christopher Paige