The Honey Bee Research Centre, Guelph, Ontario

The Honey Bee Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario

August 3, 2026

Architecture: Moriyama Teshima Architects

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

photo © Riley Snelling

Photos: Riley Snelling and Wilson Costa

The Honey Bee Research Centre (HBRC) at the University of Guelph is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to pollinator health, bringing together scientific research, commercial honey production, education, and public discovery in one place. The 14,000 SF building sits on a remote area outside of campus, adjacent to the beautiful Guelph Arboretum. 

photo © Riley Snelling

The new, world-class building is a testament to the university’s commitment as an institution to studying agriculture, showing the vital role of honey bees in food systems. This is particularly relevant in Ontario, where healthy bee populations are required to maintain the province’s food supply chains. 

photo © Riley Snelling

Conceived as a living lab, the centre’s architecture reveals the relationship between beekeeping, scientific research, and food production. The layout facilitates smooth circulation between the apiary, laboratory, and production rooms, allowing guided tours to observe how honey is extracted and processed for commercial use without entering controlled spaces or interrupting operations. This resulted from collaboration with researchers, administrative staff, and commercial beekeepers, whose invaluable experience and knowledge helped the design team to understand working processes, operational priorities, and equipment needs. 

photo © Riley Snelling

In the Discovery Centre, there are endless possibilities for public education with its flexible exhibition and teaching space to hold workshops, talks, and events for visitors of all ages. Through its direct connection to the demonstration apiary in the back, educational experiences can be extended to provide children, students, and scholars the opportunity to encounter living bees firsthand. A ramp follows the site’s topography, creating an accessible journey. 

photo © Riley Snelling

Upon encountering the building, a generous entrance canopy welcomes visitors into the space, leading into a bright atrium filled with natural light. Pollinator plants are located next to the entrance and along the front walkway, while the exterior on the north facade supports a living wall with a vine system that will flourish over the time. 

photo © Riley Snelling

Formerly a tree nursery, the site location was carefully chosen and approached with a light touch to preserve significant trees and reduce excavation, consistent with the centre’s ecological mission. Its proximity to the surrounding urban forest also informed the selection of species in outdoor spaces, cultivating a landscape that supports local wildlife. The influence of nature is reflected into the architecture of the building, where the folded metal cladding echoes the vertical rhythm of the trees.

photo © Riley Snelling

“The honey bees were our tiniest clients, each scarcely the weight of a raindrop. They taught us about food chains, pollination, the colours of honey, disease, surviving the winter, social structure, flight paths, hard work, and the delicate balance upon which every ecosystem depends,” said Diarmuid Nash, Partner, Moriyama Teshima Architects.

photo © Riley Snelling

Given that a significant proportion of crops are dependent on pollination, the health of pollinators is inseparable from food security.  With the creation of this facility, the university actively invests in a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system for the future as we navigate the effects of climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and other environmental threats to honey bees. HBRC presents major potential to advance public awareness for those from both urban and rural environments, demystifying the activities, infrastructure, and labour involved to feed entire communities. By making these issues and processes visible, the public can become inspired to learn more about how a small but essential organism contributes to a much larger system.

photo © Riley Snelling

“Having a world class facility with the capacity for advanced research and outreach is essential to the apicultural industry in Canada. The Honey Bee Research Centre will now continue to be an even stronger model for Canada and the world of progressive and innovative beekeeping activity,” said Rod Scarlett, Executive Director, Canadian Honey Council.

photo © Riley Snelling

The Honey Bee Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada – Building Information

Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Client: University of Guelph
Size: 14,000 SF
Completion: May 2026
Architect: Moriyama Teshima Architects – https://www.mtarch.com/

Photographers: Riley Snelling and Wilson Costa

Project Team – Moriyama Teshima Architects
Diarmuid Nash – Partner-in-Charge
Olivia Keung – Project Manager & Project Architect
Corey Brown – Project Architect
Veronica Madonna – Principal-in-Charge of Design
Luis Quezada – Designer
Pooya Aledavood – Designer
Nicolas Mayaux – Designer
Jay Zhao – Designer
Melissa Poon – Intern Architect
Rutuja Atre – Intern Architect
Maria Pavlou – Job Captain
Louis Lortie – Technologist

photo © Riley Snelling

Sub-Consultants
Landscape: Forrec (Scott Torrance)
Civil: Walter Fedy (Krystin Scheels)
Structural: Moses Structural Engineering (David Moses)
Mechanical: Integral Group (Mike Godawa)
Electrical: Integral Group
LEED & Sustainability: Integral Group
AV, IT & Security: Integral Group
Code Consulting: LMDG
Building Code Compliance
Acoustics: Jaffe Holden Acoustic
Design Accessibility: Human Space
Building Envelope: Morrison Hershfield
Sustainability: Integral Group
Exhibition Consulting: Lord Cultural Resources
Costing: Altus Group

About Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA)
Founded in 1958, Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) is an award-winning Canadian practice known for thoughtful, enduring design across sectors including post-secondary education, civic and cultural institutions, Indigenous centres, libraries, and master planning. With over 200 design accolades, including six Governor General’s Medals, MTA is widely recognized for shaping projects that resonate with place, advance sustainability, and foster vibrant public life.

photo © Riley Snelling

As leaders in mass timber innovation and sustainable architecture, they prioritize regenerative design practices that reduce carbon impact, enhance building resilience, and support long-term institutional and community stewardship. MTA is committed to universal accessibility and inclusive design, ensuring buildings welcome people of all abilities and backgrounds. Their approach integrates land, building, people, and process, producing architecture that is flexible, locally rooted, and socially attuned.

photo © Riley Snelling

MTA believes that the most lasting and beloved environments arise through collaboration. Whether supporting emerging pedagogies or co-creating cultural hubs, their work is guided by careful listening, interdisciplinary insight, and a deep respect for each project’s story and context. MTA is a certified minority-owned firm through the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC).

photo © Wilson Costa