Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MAWN-ji-WAY nen-DEM-oh-WIN-ahn),[a] commonly referred to by its building code MN,[2] is an academic building on the Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. The building, whose name means "gathering of minds" in Anishinaabemowin, is a large, modern structure opened in 2018 that houses various academic departments, lecture halls, lounge spaces, and offices.
The building is featured prominently as a filming location for the Amazon Prime Video series Gen V, where it serves as the fictional Godolkin University's School of Crimefighting.
History
The location of Maanjiwe nendamowinan is where the former North Building once stood, an original campus building which was intended to be temporary yet remained until 2015. The university made plans to replace it with something more modern and spacious, and building was partially torn down for Deerfield Hall to be built in 2014 as the first phase of reconstruction. Construction continued on the second phase, dubbed the New North Building, until the building as it stands today was capped off in 2018.[3]
Naming
In 2019, the university began to seek suggestions on an official name for the building, which were reviewed by a "North 2 Naming Committee." On August 22, 2019, the university announced that the building would be officially named Maanjiwe nendamowinan after consulting the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Indigenous tribe whose treaty land is where the University of Toronto now exists. The name, which received unanimous approval, means "gathering of minds" in Anishinaabemowin.[4][3]
Construction
Maanjiwe nendamowinan cost approximately CA$89 million to build and consists of six storeys and 20,500 square metres (220,600 sq ft) of floor space.[5] It was designed by American architectural firm Perkins&Will[3] and is connected to the adjacent Deerfield Hall. The building has two active learning classrooms and houses the Departments of English & Drama, Historical Studies, Language Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology, the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP), as well as the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre.[6] The building's main atrium is known as the UTM Grand Hall. An office for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) was opened in the building in 2022.[7]
It earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for its sustainability features, including rainwater recycling, energy-efficient mechanical systems, a green roof, and bird-safe glass.[8] In 2021 it won a Citation Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Canada Society chapter.[8] Also in 2021, the building received an Award of Merit from the City of Mississauga Urban Design Awards.[9]
In popular culture
The Amazon Prime Video series Gen V (2023– ) filmed its first season in 2022, with the University of Toronto's campuses used for various locations in the show.[10] Maanjiwe nendamowinan is used most extensively for exterior shots of the School of Crimefighting, with some interior hallways used occasionally.
In the medical drama series Doc (2025– ), Maanjiwe nendamowinan filled in for Westside Hospital.[11]
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