Infrastructure Renewal Planning
Facilities Management and Development (“Facilities”) has overall responsibility for ensuring the maintenance and safe operation of all core building and life-safety systems at Toronto Metropolitan University. Our experienced professionals evaluate and predict outcomes through a big-picture lens in order to prioritize renewal projects, develop asset management plans, and implement initiatives that support growth, sustainability, and health and safety.
The department oversees repair requests and develops maintenance and renewal programs for all base-building systems — the core structural and mechanical systems of a building — as well as specialized departmental equipment and systems that are essential for scholarly, research and creative activities.
This infrastructure coordination ensures that building infrastructure, equipment and safety systems and specialized user-group equipment is:
- maintained in a state of good repair
- inspected and certified
- compliant with codes and standards
- fulfilling all health and safety requirements
A complex portfolio
Base building systems and life-safety systems are the intrinsic structural and mechanical components of a building that make the built environment livable, temperate, healthy and safe:
- masonry, doors and windows
- elevators
- electricity and plumbing
- heating and ventilation
- fire alarms, sprinklers and extinguishers, emergency lights
Specialized equipment — “functional-use” equipment — infrastructure and safety systems are operated only by particular departments for specific tasks and include:
- laboratory testing equipment
- sprung floors in dance studios
- walk-in coolers and freezers
- fume hoods and biosafety cabinets
- welding booths machine guards
Each of these different systems in each building have different functional life-expectancies and different regimens for preventative maintenance and replacement.
The Facilities team carefully evaluates our properties, systems and equipment to strategically plan and coordinate maintenance and renewal projects. This carefully considered process makes sure that our campus infrastructure and equipment continues to operate properly, meet inspection and certification schedules, and verify that installation and service specifications are met and equipment is correctly connected for safe operation.
Projects and resource allocation are prioritized to maximize benefits and ensure long-term success.
Funding responsibilities for maintenance and safety compliance
Base funding is allocated by the university directly to Facilities for base-building repairs, preventative maintenance and infrastructure renewal in general-use facilities and non-specialized academic/research spaces (classrooms and lecture halls, library spaces, informal learning/study spaces).
Departmental, research and revenue-generating business units are responsible for funding the maintenance and safety certification related to specialized equipment and functional-use systems.