Construction Within Constraints

University of Toronto Jackman Law Building

Project Photos

The main building of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law needed a major overhaul. Unable to provide the space required for students both within the context of classes and extracurricular activities, the final design for this new home of law was established through a design competition. Partway through the design process, it became apparent that the available budget wouldn’t cover construction costs. We were asked to join the team to partner with the design architect and collaborate with the firm to find ways to reduce the costs involved in construction and complete the building while honouring the original design and its most distinctive features and forms.

For too long, our Faculty of Law has operated in a physical environment that did not fully reflect its excellence and stature as one of the world’s best law schools; the Jackman Law Building provides a cutting-edge environment designed to support the excellence of the faculty, staff and students who work and study here.

— U of T President Meric Gertler

Through in-depth analysis of the original design and working collaboratively with Hariri Pontarini Architects, we decreased construction costs by substituting materials without compromising the aesthetic of the original design. The result is an iconic new home that creates a strong identity in the community and integrates the school’s historic past through a link to the existing Bora Laskin Law Library.

The Jackman Law Building provides much-needed space to serve faculty, staff and students in an elegant new home, which facilitates learning, interaction and enhances engagement. Embracing the facility’s prominent location, the design features a dramatic wing overlooking Queen’s Park Crescent and follows the curve of the street in front of it to fully complement its placement with a rhythmic façade of glass and limestone fins.