Architectural illustration of the Support Services Building (view from Ring Road). Sustainability features will include a stormwater management system incorporating landscaped retention ponds near the building entrance.
It was an unusually “constructive” summer on campus this year. Underground heating, water, gas, electrical, sewer and treated waste water services for new campus buildings were installed during July and August. Despite a challenging construction market, all projects were completed on time and on budget.
“We would like to thank the campus community for their patience,” says Eugene Heeger, director of capital projects. “We planned ahead to ensure we brought in services for all new buildings, including First Peoples House, at the same time, with the aim of reducing inconvenience to the campus community in the future.”
Four new buildings are currently under construction. The new facilities will help to meet the infrastructure requirements of growing student enrolment, while providing much-needed research, learning and office space.
The newest building to move from design to construction (in August 2007) was the Support Services Building (SSB), located outside Ring Road between Centennial Stadium and the Continuing Studies Building. The new facility will house the executive team as well as other administrative functions such as accounting, research services, pension and payroll.
In addition to providing growth for these areas, this move will open up space in the campus core for academic units and student support services. The project will be registered with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating Standards program.
The Enterprise Data Centre (EDC), a new campus computing facility that was originally earmarked for a location adjacent to the SSB, will now be built near the Technology Enterprise Facility off McKenzie Avenue. The decision to separate the two projects (because of vastly different infrastructure requirements) will help to preserve more open space near the SSB. The revised schematic design of the EDC is scheduled to be presented to the facilities development sustainability subcommittee before the end of the year. The target completion date is October 2008.
The Mearns Centre for Learning will transform the existing McPherson Library into a state-of-the-art educational facility that integrates the library’s extensive music, audio and video collections and technology services. The recently named BiblioCafé will be located on the main floor. Target occupancy date is January 2008.
An implementation committee for the First Peoples House has been meeting since August to discuss refinements to the original building design developed by architect Alfred Waugh. The First Peoples House will create a welcoming and supportive space on campus for Indigenous students and the broader community. The $7-million project is expected to break ground in April 2008, on a site between the Clearihue and Cornett buildings. It will be registered with the LEED Green Building Rating Standards program, with an estimated completion date of June 2009.
The Science Building will accommodate the School of Earth & Ocean Sciences (SEOS), the Department of Chemistry, the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling & Analysis (CCCma), plus lecture theatres, labs and offices. Target occupancy date is September 2008.
The Social Sciences and Mathematics Building will house the departments of geography, environmental studies, political science and mathematics, as well as the Water & Climate Impacts Research Centre (W-CIRC) and a variety of classrooms and offices. The project will be registered with the LEED Green Building Rating Standards program, with a target occupancy date of March 2008.
For more information and current construction updates, visit the web site at www.uvic.ca/construction/.
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