Deep Innovation

U of T’s Lassonde Mining Building has reopened following renovations, with the century-old heritage building now sporting collaborative design studios and teaching spaces, and a rooftop meeting room.

The new fourth- and fifth-floor space, known as the Goldcorp Mining Innovation Suite, provides 100 workstations for mineral and civil engineering students to work on design projects. The building will also be the heart of the Lassonde Institute of Mining, an interdisciplinary research institute focused on mineral resource identification, mine planning and excavation, as well as extraction and processing. The suite will also host public seminars and lectures. New photovoltaic panels on the roof will power the suite’s lights and computers, and improved insulation will keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer. Rainwater will be collected to keep the grounds green. An elevator has made the building more physically accessible.

The project was made possible by financial support from Pierre Lassonde, the chair of Franco-Nevada, a gold royalty and investment company; Goldcorp Inc.; as well as funding from the federal and provincial governments and the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. At a public dedication last November, the building was renamed in recognition of Lassonde’s generous support of mining engineering and innovation. “What we do is always for the students,” Lassonde said at the event. “There is no doubt that the student experience here will be absolutely incredible.”