William G. Davis Building
The William G. Davis Building, commonly known as the Davis Building, is the oldest and largest academic building on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Designed by architect Raymond Moriyama and built in 1973, it was originally intended to be the singular building at UTM during the campus's early planning stages. Today, the brutalist Davis Building is home to the main administrative offices of the List of vice-presidents and principals of the [University of Toronto Mississauga|UTM principal] and dean, alongside various academic departments, student services, laboratories, lecture halls, and a food court.
Originally known as the South Building, the Davis Building the oldest purpose-built structure on the Mississauga campus. It is one of only two present in the years following the campus's establishment as Erindale College in 1967, the other of which was the North Building, demolished in 2015. It has been named in honour of Ontario premier and education minister Bill Davis since 2009.
History
In 1966, the Temporary Building was created for the establishment of Erindale College in 1967. As it was only meant to be temporary, Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama was commissioned to plan a "central mega-structure" for the campus as one of his first major projects. Moriyama's plan envisioned one central building that would hold all academic facilities, thus preserving the campus's natural state.The first phase of its construction was completed in 1971, known as the J. Tuzo Wilson Research Wing. The final phase, which makes up the main portion of the Davis Building today, finished in 1973 and opened that same year. It was constructed on the west bank of the Credit River, north of Wilson Pond, primarily out of exposed concrete in a Brutalist style similar to the Andrews Building on the Scarborough campus, built around the same time.
The building housed the majority of the campus library's collection until 2006 with the opening of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. It has received multiple renovations and expansions, including the addition of the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre in 2005 and the Science Building in 2024, which were built into the south and east sides of the Davis Building respectively. Renovations which filled the freed space from the relocated library were undertaken by Kearns Mancini Architects and completed in 2009. Space on the second and third floors were converted into extra classrooms and faculty and administrative office spaces. Both the Departments of Sociology and Geography, Campus Safety services, and offices for executive faculty were also allocated to this section.
The South Building was renamed in 2009 in honour of William G. Davis, a University of Toronto alumnus who served as Ontario minister of education from 1964–1971, and premier of Ontario from 1971–1985. Davis is credited for his influence on education in the province.
The Department of Sociology moved to Maanjiwe nendamowinan following its opening in 2018.
In 2024, a Student Services Hub was added in the building which houses various student services departments, including Accessibility Services and the Career Centre.
Facilities
The Davis Building houses the UTM Departments of Biology and Geography on the third floor and Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences on the fourth. The third floor is the location of the campus administrative offices, including that of the principal and dean. Also on the floor is the Council Chamber, the main meeting space for the UTM Campus Council of the University of Toronto Governing Council.The building's second floor is the main ground level, and contains the Meeting Place, Student Services Hub, and four lecture halls. The first floor, which is partially underground, contains Spigel Hall, the Health and Counselling Centre, offices for the Department of Recreation, Athletics and Wellness, and the Mississauga location of the University of Toronto Bookstore. An underground tunnel connecting to the Kaneff Centre/Innovation Complex from the first floor of the Davis Building was built in 2014.