York University’s new campus in Markham, Ont., redefines the urban campus model with a 10-storey academic tower that unites diverse disciplines within a vertically interconnected design.

Designed by Diamond Schmitt, the vertical campus is designed to optimize its compact 2-ha (5-acre) site and maximize program space in an efficient way.

The 37,161-m² (400,000-sf) multilevel academic building is anchored by a five-storey podium that opens from a highly accessible entry into a welcoming double-height atrium. Transparency admits sunlight and natural light, showcasing campus events and daily activities.

Ten floors of highly flexible, efficient teaching and learning spaces are organized around an interconnected, spatially ambitious atrium that promotes accessibility and collaboration.

A key challenge in designing the new York University Markham Campus was the site’s high-water table and poor load-bearing capacity. A grade change was created as a design solution to address the site’s upward water pressure.

Bronze aluminum clads the exterior, punctuated by a syncopated fenestration pattern. The LEED Gold-certified building features glass vision panels that are placed to correspond with interior program spaces, maximizing daylighting.