Transforming the Trinity campus – the new Lawson Centre for Sustainability will enhance the collegiate experience, revitalize our beautiful campus and embodies our commitment to sustainability.
Opening Fall 2026
A hybrid mass timber, zero-carbon and targeting LEED Platinum residence and academic facility, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability reflects Trinity’s commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation. The Lawson Centre also serves as the home-base for Trinity’s Integrated Sustainability Initiative, which will provide students state-of-the-art areas for research and experiential learning including the Community Kitchen and the George and Martha Butterfield Rooftop Farm.
The Lawson Centre for Sustainability sets a new standard for sustainable design and architecture at the University of Toronto.
As part of the revitalization of our historic campus, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability design process has thoughtfully integrated the beauty of our existing buildings with the very best contemporary sustainable design. With a variety of student residences, communal spaces and dining areas, as well as seminar rooms, faculty offices, and flexible event and learning spaces, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability is designed with the well-being of our community in mind. This state-of-the-art building will help integrate the principles of sustainability into daily life at Trinity College and address one of this generation’s greatest challenges.
Building News
The state-of-the-art building has already received international awards for sustainable design: 2026 World Architecture News Awards – Silver in the Future Projects: Education, and 2025 Holcim Foundation Award for Sustainable Design: North America Regional Winner, and named by ArchDaily as one of the world’s 20 most anticipated projects for 2026.
- The Lawson Centre for Sustainability achieved its Zero Carbon Building – Design certification (Dec. 2024). A testament to the College’s ongoing sustainability commitment, this was significant milestone as pursuing this key certification helped inform the strategic design and direction of the new building.
- Trinity is the first post-secondary institution in North American to secure a labelled Green Loan to finance the construction of our ambitious new mass timber, zero carbon, LEED platinum multi-use building!
Living Trinity
“We are delighted to support the creation of a ‘living lab’ that showcases the importance of sustainability and demonstrates what is possible. Through the Living Trinity Campaign, we can come together as a community to inspire brilliant minds to create the transformative change that the world needs.”
Brian & Joannah lawson
Coming to a close in Spring 2026, Living Trinity was a successful and extraordinary fundraising campaign focused on making strategic investments to support students, enhance academic programming and build a new landmark building, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability. This new addition to the Trinity College campus was made possible by generous donations from our community, like Brian and Joannah Lawson, who added to their legacy with a $10 million gift to support Trinity’s Integrated Sustainability Initiative, and an additional $5 million gift to further strengthen commitment to sustainability.