Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre

Key features

Co-owned by the University of Toronto and the City of Toronto in a unique partnership, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is a hub of activity and collaboration for students, community members, and high performance athletes. As a legacy venue for the 2015 Pan Am & Parapan American Games, the facility will host swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, fencing, modern pentathalon, sitting volleyball and in-line roller speed skating events. 

This state-of-the-art building is the largest new-build sports facility for the Games, and is considered one of the largest investments in Canadian amateur sport history. At 393,628 square-feet, it includes seating for 8,000 spectators, two internationally sanctioned 10-lane 50-metre pools, a 5-metre deep diving tank, a four-court gymnasium, an indoor walking/running track, a climbing wall, conditioning rooms, a high performance testing centre, studio spaces, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre.

The sports centre is also home to the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, the leading high performance sports organization in the province, and Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s National Academy. In addition, Diving Plongeon Canada, Swimming Canada, Synchro Canada and Water Polo Canada have moved components of their training programs to the facility.

The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is built to the highest standards of accessibility, from entrances and pathways to dressing rooms, lockers, washrooms and showers. There are also tethering stations for service animals available throughout the building, and emergency provisions include areas of refuge and an evacuation chair; medical and treatment rooms include height adjustable tables.

LEED Gold achieved through partnerships

The partners, together with Infrastructure Ontario, specified that design and construction of the facility would adhere to the guidelines and sustainability principles of the LEED rating system, the most widely used green building rating system in the world. In addition, the project set out to comply with the City of Toronto’s Toronto Green Standard (TGS).

The professionals on the delivery team including PCL Constructors Canada Inc., are practiced at designing and constructing projects to the LEED standards, benefitting both the design/build team and the owners. With the evolution of environmentally conscious building practices, what was considered a premium service has become standard to the way PCL builds. With an initial target of achieving LEED Silver for the facility, PCL, in partnership with LEED consultant Halsall Associates, was able to maximize value to achieve Gold, which stands as a testament to the value of strong partnerships and close collaboration.

What drove the U of T and the City of Toronto to build green

The University of Toronto is driven to be a leader in institutional environmental responsibility as well as provide the facility with operational benefits and cost effectiveness over the long term. UTSC is known for leading scholarship in the environment—addressing the social and ecological dimensions of natural resources and the environment to improve sustainability. That’s why at UTSC, being green means being connected—to the local farmers who supply our food outlets, through our academic endeavours, and by our responsibility to future generations.

We are committed to building a sustainable community through outreach and education on important issues like climate change, resource valuation, and conservation. We’re planning responsibly, preserving resources and reducing our environmental impact. Faculty, staff, and students are reducing our environmental footprint by conserving energy, promoting renewable energy, alternative transportation and recycling.

The value of certification for athletes, students and the community

This certification demonstrates the social responsibility taken on by the owners and by the federal government, as well as the global audience that will be attending the games. Building facilities with sustainable features ensures environmentally-responsible and efficient buildings that will last for years. UTSC has enthusiastically incorporated energy conservation strategies in the operation, renovation and construction of its facilities, which legitimizes is efforts and provides direction for future campus growth. These principles have been incorporated into academic expansion projects, and will be further established with additional design innovations, such as earth tubes at the campus’ Environmental Science and Chemistry Building (ESCB).

UTSC is making significant progress by altering how it designs, builds, operates and maintains its facilities to ensure efficient use of natural resources. These projects help the campus conserve energy, reduce the use of raw materials and save money. Over time, more members of the U of T community will live, work and learn in increasingly efficient buildings while enjoying a higher standard of indoor environmental quality.

Performance standards/goals

Because swimming pools of this nature generally have significant utility consumption rates, we were particularly interested in targeting optimized energy performance, which was achieved through use of:

• Geothermal energy through a ground source heat pump (GSHP) field located under the north parking lot of the facility, comprised of 100 geothermal boreholes, extending 600 feet deep each.
• Building envelope materials that combat high humidity and contribute to overall building envelope and energy performance.
• Unique air handling units that prevent condensation and reduce the energy demand required to heat the pools.

Through a comprehensive waste management plan, PCL ensured that 95% of construction site waste from the project was diverted from landfill.

Energy and water savings

The facility has been designed and built to optimize energy performance, achieving a 40% reduction in design energy cost over the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB) reference building. The project achieves a 37% water use reduction over baseline fixture performance requirements and 100% of the facility’s property irrigation demand is met using non-potable rainwater harvested by underground cisterns buried in various locations.

Positive health impacts

The building provides a brighter and healthier indoor environment for the community, as well as reduced utility cost and maintenance burden that will allow the facility to remain this way long into the future.

Some of the ways this is accomplished include:

• LED lighting that is more efficient and less harsh.
• Effective, efficient and environmentally friendly pool air and water treatment systems.
• Effective use of sightlines and visibility to the vast open spaces, and to the street.
• Synergized offering of services from fitness, to high performance, to therapeutics.

Measurement and verification systems, advanced building automation controls and energy management systems have been incorporated into the building so the owner can actively monitor its performance, and respond dynamically to changing operational needs.

A first for the University of Toronto

The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is the first University of Toronto building to certify LEED Gold. Constructed on time and on budget, the project was completed following an aggressive 24-month schedule, enabling the facility to begin operations and complete testing events one year prior to the Games.

PCL was awarded the 2015 Ontario General Contractors Association award for Best Project Built in Ontario, as well as the Best of the Best Large Project Achievement Award from the Toronto Construction Association.

U of T is extremely proud of this facility, a winner by international standards, as well as the opportunity to provide a showcase for leading edge environmental design in this jointly-owned City and University facility.