The new Master of Mathematical Finance (MMF) Department at the University of Toronto honours the program’s world-class reputation, bolsters its identity within the university, and enhances functionality and experience for the larger MMF community.
When the MMF Department at the University of Toronto embarked on a growth trajectory, it sought to advance its mission and expand student enrollment by establishing two new distinct student streams: one dedicated to Executive Training and another focused on fostering collaborative industry partnerships and projects, extending the success of the MMF internship program.
To manifest the department’s mandate and honour the collaborative ethos that underpins its work, our renovation at 700 University Avenue converted a 6,800-sf space into an active learning environment for MMF graduate students in both streams that emphasizes group work and leverages advanced AV technologies.
We exposed the ceilings to regain height and create a more spacious atmosphere for a varied and technologically enhanced program that includes meeting pods, a conference room, a library, a lounge with a large media wall for projecting presentations and digital content, student and staff kitchens, administrative offices, and storage spaces. At the heart of the Learning Nexus is the main classroom, which is outfitted with eight monitors and several Bloomberg terminals — the industry standard for sourcing data, news, and analytics related to financial markets. The classroom configuration enables students to break out into smaller groups and cluster around nearby monitors so they can complete and display their classwork; instructors can also access the same monitors to share content quickly and easily with students. The space is also equipped with wireless mics and two video cameras — one focused on the instructor and another directed at the classroom — to enable high-quality, immersive distance learning.
Large double-glazed glass along the main corridor and classrooms ensure that all spaces have access to natural light, creating a bright and vital ambiance. The incorporation of green felt acoustic panels on the ceilings not only helps with sound attenuation but also adds visual interest and fosters warmth within the contemporary learning space.