The shovels are in the ground for the new $115 million University of Ottawa STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Building.
PCL Construction is building the structure designed by Perkins + Will. The project manager is CBRE Limited.
Other project participants include: Landscape architect, Lashley & Associates; mechanical/electrical engineer, Bouthillette Parizeau; signage consultant, Jaan Krusberg Design Inc.; and structural engineer, Cleland Jardine Engineering Ltd.
Politicians including MP David McGuinty and MPP Ottawa-Vanier MPP\Nathalie Des Rosiers (a former dean of law at the university), along with university officials, were among the more than 60 people who gathered for the ground-breaking ceremony on Dec. 13.
The federal government is contributing $51.5 million to complete the building, with a provincial government contribution of $6.4 million. The university says the “remaining funds will come from university sources.”
The university says the building will house:
- The Brunsfield Centre, a dedicated space that allows students to build and test complex prototypes.
- Discovery labs that expand on the latest digital infrastructure and state of the art equipment at uOttawa’s Richard L’Abbé Makerspace, encouraging students from all fields of study, including health sciences, arts and humanities, to join the “invent-build-play” movement
- An open-concept Entrepreneurship Hub, which will exude vibrancy, creativity and risk-taking and will be ideally suited for those who wish to “Defy the Conventional.” It will help multi-disciplinary startups launch new products by providing expertise on regulatory issues, patenting and advice on accessing venture capital.
The project must be completed by April, 2018, to comply with federal funding requirements.
