In January 2012, an organizational review of the Division of the Vice-President, University Operations, resulted in the creation of University Planning, Design & Construction (UPDC), an amalgamation of the former Real-Estate Operations with the Office of Campus and Facilities Planning. The portfolio currently has four Directors and one Executive Director in place, with a mandate to integrate and coordinate across the areas of planning, project development, design and engineering, management of projects and space, to deliver value and consistent levels of service for the University.

I am delighted to announce that Gilbert Delgado, FAIA has accepted our offer to join the University Operations team as Chief of University, Planning, Design & Construction, effective May 9, 2016.

University Architect at Cornell University since 2007, Gilbert brings his skill in campus master planning, historic building stewardship, environmental stewardship, and design excellence to UPDC along with institutional and community relationship building experience. Gilbert’s responsibilities have included oversight of the campus planning office, project management, and construction management. These responsibilities have provided a broad perspective of all parts of the project delivery system, and the projects developed under Gilbert’s oversight represent over $300M in capital construction during a seven year period.

In 2012, Cornell University was selected to develop a new campus in New York City on Roosevelt Island, and Gilbert directed the development of a historic new campus master plan, concurrently overseeing the design of the first academic building on the new campus. This building, honoured with a design award by New York City’s Public Design Commission, was designed with the objective of achieving a Net-Zero approach to energy consumption, producing as much energy as it uses in one year.

Prior to joining Cornell, Gilbert spent 16 years with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), first as Project Manager for the GSA Regional Office in San Francisco, overseeing the planning, design, and construction of a major courthouse and the renovation of other federal buildings in California. He also served as Project Director for the GSA Courthouse Management Group within the agency’s Central Office in Washington, DC, where he reviewed courthouse projects throughout the United States. Gilbert was named GSA National Director, Border Program, responsible for several of our shared border crossings before being named GSA National Director, Project Management and Construction Excellence.

Gilbert is a highly regarded architect and planner and, directly following Gilbert’s start with us, he will be inducted in to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows, a lifetime achievement; we’re delighted that he will be feted as a U of T staff member.

Please join me in welcoming Gilbert to UPDC, to U of T, and to Canada.