Diamond Schmitt to design School of Medicine building

Diamond Schmitt has been selected as the primary consultant to design and plan Toronto Metropolitan University's (TMU) new School of Medicine. Located in Brampton, the School of Medicine will transform the former Bramalea Civic Centre into a state-of-the-art medical school that will be home to medical students and a primary care clinic.

To complement the School of Medicine's design goals of belonging, community and connection to nature, Indigenous design elements will be integrated into the plan. Diamond Schmitt has engaged Two Row Architect (external link) , an Indigenous-owned design firm, to consult on the project.

"Equity, diversity and inclusion and reconciliation will be intentionally infused throughout all facets of the School of Medicine, including its physical environment," said President and Vice- Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi. "This is the first-ever university building project to integrate TMU's Indigenous Design Guidelines - developed in consultation with Indigenous community members - in the design process."

The school will feature functional, flexible and collaborative active learning classrooms, lab and study spaces that will support various modes of pedagogy. A four-storey interconnected atrium at the primary west entrance will welcome students, staff and visitors into a vibrant, inclusive and safe environment where they can interact and engage with one another.

The library will provide quiet individual and group study spaces, and additional learning opportunities outside the classroom. Case-based learning teaching labs, simulation and digital anatomy labs will further bolster TMU's experiential learning approach for its medical learners.

Other amenities include event, gallery and maker spaces established as central hubs for student activities, and a communal kitchen with a student-run internal herb garden that contributes to well-being. The north wing of the building will house the academic research and administrative offices for faculty and staff, and the south wing is designed as a hub for teaching and learning, anchored by the community clinic on the ground floor that will add much-needed health care capacity for the Brampton community.