Two University of Toronto researchers selected as recipients of 2023 CTBUH International Research Seed Funding

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has selected a pair of researchers affiliated with the University of Toronto as the recipients of the $20,000 2023 CTBUH International Research Seed Funding grant for a new project that investigates thermal efficiencies in certain variations of twin tower high rise designs.

Grantees Dr. Matthew Adams (the principal investigator) and Dr. Varuni Jayasooriya from the University's Mississauga campus are both co-authors of the forthcoming study 'Architectural Harmony in Chilly Times: Exploring the Thermal Comfort and Heating Energy Demand Trends in Non-Uniform Twin Tower Skyscrapers,’ which used MAD Architects’ 2012 design for the Absolute World Towers in Mississauga, Canada as a case study. 

Through their investigation, the pair are hoping to establish a “knowledge base” that will contribute to better occupational comfort and building performance in similar offset tower designs. Their methodology combined field experiments at the site with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling, and wind tunnel testing. They say the findings are invaluable to more sustainable urban development and will lead ultimately to the "creation of harmonious and environmentally conscious built environments in cold climates." 

Their work also contributes to the Univesity of Toronto’s forays into improving the sustainable design capabilities of architects and builders within Canada, which recently led it to establish the new cross-disciplinary Centre for the Sustainable Built Environment. Research on the project is expected to culminate in May of 2024.