Join Principal Nigel Tai and Jeff Miller, Director of Facilities Management & Capital Projects at the University of Toronto, at the 2026 SLCan Conference for their presentation, "The Realization of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health”. Together, they will share lessons learned, challenges, and solutions from bringing the vision for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health to life.

Housed within the Myron and Berna Garron Health Sciences Complex, the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health brings research, healthcare, and academic life together under one roof for the University of Toronto Scarborough. Flexible laboratories, classrooms, and offices are complemented by community-facing spaces, including a psychology clinic and pharmacy extend the university’s connection to the surrounding community. 

The design centres on healing — not only as a place of medical education and research dedicated to human health, but through architecture that contributes to the health of the environment. Alongside a conventional rooftop PV array, a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system will generate on-site renewable energy, providing 20% of the building's overall annual energy consumption. Other sustainable design features include a 9.6-metre grid that allows for flexibility to extend the building's lifespan, a robust high-performance envelope assembly, low window-to-wall ratio, low-carbon HVAC responsive to building and occupant needs, and extensive energy recovery.

That commitment to healing shows up throughout the facility. A five-storey atrium forms the building's "beating heart," running along its central axis as a pedestrian route. Wood-clad and integrating an abundance of greenery, it echoes the surrounding ravine landscape and brings a sense of well-being to occupants. This central space also serves as a collaborative area for teachers, students, health professionals, and faculty to gather and interact, while playing a functional role in air circulation and heat recovery, helping reduce energy consumption.