Trinity College Receives New $5 Million Gift from Lawson Family to Further Strengthen Commitment to Sustainability
Trinity College Provost Nicholas Terpstra, Joannah and Brian Lawson, and U of T President Melanie Woodin at the Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting.
At the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the new Lawson Centre for Sustainability on April 30, 2026, University of Toronto President Melanie Woodin announced a generous new gift to Trinity College from Brian and Joannah Lawson. The Lawson family committed an additional $5 million gift to support sustainability at Trinity College, bringing their total contribution to $19 million.
“Brian and Joannah Lawson continue building on their leadership in making the University of Toronto a model for sustainability research and practice,” said Melanie Woodin, president of U of T. “We are so grateful for their example and impact on Trinity College and across the university, and their commitment to leaving future generations a healthier, more prosperous world.”
The Lawsons’ latest investment will not only support the Lawson Centre for Sustainability building but also bolster Trinity’s Integrated Sustainability Initiative, further embedding sustainability into academics, research, operations and the student experience.
“Brian and Joannah Lawson continue building on their leadership in making the University of Toronto a model for sustainability research and practice.” — Melanie Woodin |
“The Lawson Centre for Sustainability represents not just a stunning new space, but a commitment—to research, to education, to student experience, and to the future of our planet. It will be a place where ideas become action, and where we equip students to meet the defining challenges of our time,” Trinity College Provost Nicholas Terpstra said. “This moment would not be possible for Trinity without the vision, leadership and generosity of Brian and Joannah.”
Trinity College Chancellor Brian Lawson ‘82 and Joannah Lawson (Master of Industrial Relations ’89, U of T) made a foundational gift of $10 million toward the new building and sustainability initiatives at Trinity in 2019, adding a further $4 million in 2024. The Lawsons also donated a transformational $60 million to U of T in 2025 to found the Lawson Climate Institute, whose offices will be located in the Lawson Centre for Sustainability.
“The Lawson Centre for Sustainability represents not just a stunning new space, but a commitment—to research, to education, to student experience, and to the future of our planet.” — Nicholas Terpstra |
“Trinity is very important to us and our family. This wonderful new building will shape student life and the community for generations, transforming learning and the campus,” Joannah Lawson said.
“Meaningfully supporting education, sustainability and future-focused initiatives is so crucial at this moment,” Brian Lawson added.
Featuring leading-edge sustainable design and construction, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability is a mass timber, zero carbon, LEED platinum mixed-use building with classrooms, a lecture hall, faculty offices and meeting rooms, student social spaces including a new dining hall, and over 350 residence beds. It will be the campus home for the Integrated Sustainability Initiative, aiming to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of living and learning. In addition, the George and Martha Butterfield Rooftop Farm and Trinity Kitchen Lab will create a hub for learning and research in food systems.
The Lawson Centre has already received international awards for sustainable design, including the 2025 Holcim Foundation Award for Best Practice in Sustainable Design and 2026 World Architecture News Awards Silver in Future Projects, Education. The building will formally open to the community in early September 2026.
Brian and Joannah Lawson on the pavilion balcony of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability with Provost Nicholas Terpstra, former Provost Mayo Moran, and architects from Mecanoo and RDHA who brought the vision of this new leading-edge sustainable building to life.
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