The design encourages collaboration between disciplines, establishes clear connections between research groups.
Built in 1965, the Arthur Bourns Building (ABB) houses the undergraduate and graduate Chemistry and Chemical Biology programs as well as other departments such as Physics. Over five decades this building has become inefficient in terms of space and infrastructure use and is no longer optimal as the University’s hub for scientific program in Chemistry and Engineering research, its facilities play a critical function in McMaster University’s long-standing tradition of innovation and research.
This project focuses on providing additional space to foster opportunities for integrated, multi-disciplinary and team based approaches to the departments housed within. The mandate of the project is to offer flexible, modular and adaptable laboratory spaces, where research can occur in an open and transparent space. The design encourages collaboration between disciplines, establishes clear connections between research groups, trans disciplinary learning, creativity and problem solving based learning.
Separated into three distinct parts that will deal with each of these challenges separately, under one umbrella to ensure an integrated, optimally designed and constructed set of facilities.
Part 1: New Addition involves an addition to the Engineering Innovation Tower, which will primarily house laboratories geared toward research, as well as some learning and communal spaces.
Part 2: Renovation is a Deep Renovation of the west wing of the existing ABB, which will overhaul old research laboratories to 21-century standards.
Part 3: Deferred Maintenance will address much needed base building and Infrastructure upgrades in the remainder of the building.