It’s been a year and a half since UTSC opened its brand-new student residence building, Harmony Commons. The building was designed to welcome first-year students and ease their transition into university life.
Harmony Commons is U of T’s very first passive house, which is a type of building designed to use less energy for heating and cooling. While the residence includes an All-You-Can-Eat dining hall, “cutting-edge facilities,” and “modern amenities,” students have raised concerns over its conditions.
Former and current residents shared their experiences in interviews with The Varsity, voicing concerns over a lack of hot water, room temperature issues, and sanitation issues in the dining hall.
Water and temperature controls
One recurring complaint from Harmony Commons residents is a lack of hot water in the building.
First-year student Julia Tan, studying statistics, claimed that there have been at least two separate occasions since September when the building had little to no hot water. According to Tan, these episodes tended to last for “a few days.”
In response to a lack of hot water, first-year life science student Khwaish Jain mentioned that residents went to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre gym to shower.
Additionally, Jain criticized the inconsistency of the building’s water temperatures throughout the year. Jain claimed that different areas of the building tend to have different water temperatures.
Cameron Chassels — a second-year paramedicine student who previously lived at Harmony Commons — noted that the room temperatures were often too cold or too hot. He criticized how residents were unable to control the thermostat in their rooms themselves to set desirable temperatures.
One Resident Advisor (RA) — who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation — claimed that the inconsistent water and room temperatures are a result of the building’s passive-housing model. They added that the building’s staff has not adequately explained the effects of the passive housing model to students. According to passive house criteria, the design requires very little energy to achieve a comfortable temperature year round.
There are over 60,000 passive houses around the world. While the benefits of the design include conserving indoor temperatures through high levels of insulation, the required energy can limit windows and may require backup heating and cooling systems.
Food options in the Dining Hall
Multiple students also claimed that they had suffered from food poisoning after eating at the Harmony Commons dining hall.
The RA recalled Health Canada coming in to investigate the food and facilities of the dining hall.
However, in a statement to The Varsity, a university spokesperson wrote that any claims about food poisoning and Health Canada “have no basis in fact.” They added that “gastrointestinal illness can have several causes,” including infections from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, and that the cases reported to Harmony Common were “unrelated to food services.”
Multiple students also raised concerns regarding the selection of food offered.
As a vegan, Jain mentioned that she struggles to find food options of good quality and variety. Though the dining hall’s daily menu regularly serves vegan and non-vegan options and includes a deli and a bakery, she claims that they usually offer lentils as a source of protein for its plant-based option.
The RA also pointed out that the dining hall tends to have more greasy foods, like meaty burgers, pork belly, and potato wedges, rather than healthier alternatives.
Maintenance and response rates
In general, students noted that the Residence Facilities team often fixed water heating problems within a few days. Students can submit maintenance requests through the StarRez Portal but are encouraged to call the Residence office directly for urgent issues such as flooding, no heat, or no hot water.
However, Jain pointed out that when it came to individual resident concerns, the Residence Facilities team has been much slower to respond.
“I would say the response time for maintenance, sometimes it’s pretty slow. Not from my personal experience, but with a lot of friends, I’ve heard that they take a bit of time to come and solve the issue.”
The university’s spokesperson wrote, “UTSC maintains suitable facilities for all student housing residents. Those with feedback on residence facilities should channel them through the StarRez Portal.”
“Those with feedback on food services should address them with Todd Wadsworth ([email protected]). Anyone who wishes to get more deeply involved is invited to join the Food User Committee.”
