STEM Complex - uOttawa | 7 fl | U/C

[Vanier]

Originally Posted by TheBrain

There closing off access all around Macdonald from this Friday at 16h till Sunday at 17h.
I'm going to assume they are knocking down the building this weekend.

http://www.uottawa.ca/facilities/projects-and-construction

They are resurfacing the asphalt (and erecting hoarding?). I believe Macdonald Hall is still occupied/still vacating.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by IntoTheCore

I did computer science from 99 through 03. I had *one* physics lab in the old building where the Biosciences building is now (can't remember its name, but it was creepy as hell after dark), before it was moved to Macdonald. I also had a few CSI labs in the Cube. I'm surprised that building lasted this long.

That would have been either Gendron or Vachon. Portions of Gendron remained and was turned mainly in to offices but Vachon is completely gone. I remember the Premier coming to visit our labs and see the academic squalor we were working in. I'm sure after his visit he had no questions as to why the province had to give us a bunch of cash :-)

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

That would have been either Gendron or Vachon. Portions of Gendron remained and was turned mainly in to offices but Vachon is completely gone. I remember the Premier coming to visit our labs and see the academic squalor we were working in. I'm sure after his visit he had no questions as to why the province had to give us a bunch of cash :-)

I pre-date you guys. The buildings were built by the Oblates when uOttawa was a private RC institution. The Oblates received no public money and built bare bones structures. By the mid-sixties they could no longer keep up with the publicly funded unis and threw in the towel . They turned over uOttawa and Saint Patrick's College to the Province. St. Pat's was merged with Carleton.

Then they established St. Paul University which is affiliated with uOttawa.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

for forty years, these eyes have observed the capital, but now it’s time for forty winks while construction work takes place around their home.
Over the coming days, les yeux [the eyes], will be removed from their familiar spot on the side of macdonald hall facing the rideau canal. The iconic mural by the late james boyd, a celebrated canadian printmaker and uottawa visual arts professor, underwent a facelift a few years ago. It will now be carefully removed and stored for safekeeping during the upcoming redevelopment

leb

[rocketphish]

University of Ottawa files plans for new six-storey academic complex

Peter Kovessy, OBJ
Published on October 12, 2016

The University of Ottawa has filed development plans for its next large-scale construction project, a new science, technology, engineering and math building planned for the southwest corner of campus where demolition work has already started.

The new building proposed for 150-160 Louis Pasteur Priv., directly east of the Transitway and Nicholas Street, will feature a three-floor podium and two separate towers that each rise an additional three storeys, according to a planning report prepared by Fotenn Consultants and filed with the City of Ottawa.

Other development documents prepared by various consultants say the structure will have two or three basement levels and propose underground tunnel connections to Marion Hall and Colonel By Hall.

The reports say the site is currently developed with a parking lot, MacDonald Hall and the School of Information Technology and Engineering computer lab, more commonly known as the CUBE Building.

Some residents posted photos of the CUBE building being demolished last month. Planning documents say MacDonald Hall will also be demolished.

The University of Ottawa declined to answer questions about the demolition or the development application.

However, plans for a new science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, building are contained in the university’s campus master plan, which said the school’s existing spaces are inadequate.

“A new facility is envisioned to revolutionize undergraduate education with teaching spaces that are radically different from existing facilities, and that respond to the newest trends in education,” the report said, adding that the development site could lead to a building of up to 25,000 square metres (269,100 square feet).

The new STEM building will include classrooms, laboratories, offices, workshops, teaching spaces, study rooms and a lecture theatre, according to the development plans.

A hydraulics lab reservoir and a structures lab workspace are proposed for the lowest basement level.

According to an environmental assessment by Geofirms Engineering Ltd., the site was part of the Ottawa University Athletic Oval prior to 1958 when construction of several university buildings began.

The CUBE building was built in 1954, while MacDonald Hall was constructed in 1965, the report said.

Like many universities around Ontario, the University of Ottawa has undergone a building boom over the last decade as it constructed new academic structures, athletic facilities and labs.

These include the social sciences tower overlooking the Transitway corridor, a sports stadium near the Rideau River and an $83 million learning centre that’s scheduled to be completed next year.

Other companies involved in the STEM building’s construction include:

• Perkins + Will
• Golder Associates (geotechnical report)
• Lashley + Associates (landscape architect)
• Novatech (site servicing report)
• Farley, Smith & Denis Surveying Ltd.

http://www.obj.ca/Real-Estate/Constructi...ns-for-new-six-storey-academic-complex/1

[rocketphish]

The University of Ottawa proposes to construct a six-storey academic building intended to provide facilities serving the faculties of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The building is proposed to feature a common three-storey podium and two separate three-storey towers above. The towers are proposed to be offset to create visual interest from the west and east perspectives.

The site envisioned for the STEM Complex (the “subject site”) is located in the southwest portion of the University of Ottawa campus on a parcel municipally known as 150-160 Louis Pasteur Private. The subject site is situated at the south end of Louis Pasteur Private, directly east of the Transitway corridor and Nicholas Street.

The subject site is currently developed with MacDonald Hall, the CUBE Building, and a surface parking lot containing approximately 80 spaces. Marion Hall is located on the adjacent lot to the north and Colonel By Hall is located south of the subject site.

The building is proposed to include classrooms, laboratories, offices, workshops, teaching spaces, study rooms, and a lecture theatre. The main level is designed with an open corridor at the front, containing study stations, social spaces, and food services facilities. The basement levels are reserved for more impactful or intensive uses. A hydraulics lab reservoir and a structures lab workspace are proposed for the lowest level, with additional laboratories, workspaces, storage, and mechanical rooms proposed for the first basement level.

Along with the building, the former parking lot adjacent to the subject site is proposed to be converted into an open space, to be named Marion Square, with hard and soft landscaping features and street furniture. The main entrance to the STEM building is proposed on the north side, facing Marion Square. A hardscape walkway will connect the primary entrance to the square, continuing eastward to Louis Pasteur Private and southeast along the east side of the building. The various hardscape pathways are intended to create a “Grande Allée” corridor to accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, in order of priority. As illustrated on the submitted Landscape Plan prepared by Lashley + Associates, a combination of sod, berms, trees, and shrubs are proposed for Marion Square.

McDonald Hall features a prominent public art installation overlooking the Rideau Canal on the west facade of the building. The installation, titled Les Yeux and designed by James Boyd in 1973, consists of a large black-and-white painting depicting a pair of eyes using the aesthetic of a dot matrix print that has been reproduced and enlarged many times. The artwork was restored in 2005 by local artist Luc Doucet.

The proposal endeavours to honour Les Yeux through a reinterpretation that updates the work and bridges forward from the print age to the digital age. The new format will translate the spirit of Boyd’s work through new technologies to the STEM Building. Specifically, the design team proposes to recreate the work on the new building using contemporary materials and adjusting the scale to fit the scale of the new context. The architectural elements of the building, particularly the incorporation of two towers above a three-storey podium, offer an opportunity to reinterpret the existing artwork on a modern “canvas.”

The design team proposes to recreate the work using digital photogrammetry of the original work to create a digital file from which the work can be reinterpreted as a dot matrix of high temperature fired ceramic ink on glass. The proposed approach and materials will also offer the opportunity to appreciate the artwork at night, as the windows will be backlit using programmable LED technology.

The intent of the building design is to take cues from Les Yeux by incorporating a series of circular windows along the northern and southern facades of the towers. These windows will wrap around the building, culminating in the artwork reinterpretation itself on the western facades.

Development application:
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__0DFVZ2


Rendering:



Site:

[TheBrain]

Nice, but doesn't look like they are connecting it to Marion.

[IntoTheCore]

Originally Posted by TheBrain

Nice, but doesn't look like they are connecting it to Marion.

From the obj article:

"Other development documents prepared by various consultants say the structure will have two or three basement levels and propose underground tunnel connections to Marion Hall and Colonel By Hall."

[TheBrain]

Originally Posted by IntoTheCore

From the obj article:

"Other development documents prepared by various consultants say the structure will have two or three basement levels and propose underground tunnel connections to Marion Hall and Colonel By Hall."

Whoops, missed that.

Cool. Hope they follow through with it.
One thing about FSS which boggles my mind is why they didn't make a public tunnel to UCU. Yeah you can stay inside by going the long way around but a tunnel there would have made a nice loop.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by TheBrain

Whoops, missed that.

Cool. Hope they follow through with it.
One thing about FSS which boggles my mind is why they didn't make a public tunnel to UCU. Yeah you can stay inside by going the long way around but a tunnel there would have made a nice loop.

When they replace the current UCU with a new one as per the Campus Master Plan, there probably will be tunnels to adjacent buildings.

[J.OT13]

Hope they add a little colour to it.

[rocketphish]

Eyes art installation no longer watching canal
U of O’s ‘Les Yeux’ art installation put in storage ahead of redevelopment

By: Adam Kveton, Metro
Published on Wed Oct 26 2016



If you’ve stopped getting the feeling that someone is watching you as you drive past the University of Ottawa campus by way of the canal, you’re definitely not paranoid.

The university’s large and prominently placed art installation of a pair of stylized eyes rendered in black-and-white has been taken down in advance of redevelopment, the school says.

The piece, which has adorned the southwest facing wall of the MacDonald Hall building since 1973, has been “carefully removed and stored for safekeeping,” said spokesperson Isabelle Mailloux Pulkinghorn.

She would not comment on the specific redevelopment, nor when – or where – the eyes are expected to be put back up again. But the university’s master plan, released in 2015, shows MacDonald Hall is slated for demolition along with several other buildings.

Those structures are described as being “either deficient for their intended use, have significant physical issues or prevent more substantial development on their site,” in the plan.

The art installation, called “Les Yeux,” was made by Canadian printmaker James Boyd, and was refurbished by Luc Doucet several years ago after the dean of science at the university, André Lalonde, stepped down and asked that the piece be restored, according to a University of Ottawa publication. A fundraising campaign raised more than $35,000 for the project.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/10/26/eyes-wide-shut-over-canal.html

[Uhuniau]

These days, with the rampant NIMBYism and the World Heritage designation on the canal, do you think something like Les Yeux would ever survive being proposed if it hadn't already existed for 43 years?

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

MacDonald is gone and construction commenced on STEM.

The university has established a page with more info on the building and to add updates.

https://www.uottawa.ca/facilities/stem

The Federal grant uOttawa got requires STEM to be built by April 2018.

That is a pretty fast build for a major campus building. The Learning Centre at uOttawa started construction a year and a half ago and will not be ready until 2018 .

[UrbOttawa]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

MacDonald is gone and construction commenced on STEM.

The university has established a page with more info on the building and to add updates.

https://www.uottawa.ca/facilities/stem

The Federal grant uOttawa got requires STEM to be built by April 2018.

That is a pretty fast build for a major campus building. The Learning Centre at uOttawa started construction a year and a half ago and will not be ready until 2018 .

Updated rendering:


source


They really stepped up their game

[rocketphish]

uOttawa’s $115M STEM complex to group four disciplines

Lauren Sproule, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: December 13, 2016 | Last Updated: December 13, 2016 5:42 PM EST



The sounds of construction equipment engines and reverse warning beeps filled the air as the University of Ottawa unveiled a “once-in-a-generation” investment.

More than 60 people gathered for the ground-breaking for the $115-million STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Complex, including area MP David McGuinty, a uOttawa grad, and rookie Ottawa-Vanier MPP and former uOttawa law dean Nathalie Des Rosiers. The federal government is contributing $51.5 million towards the project, while the province is supplying $6.4 million.

Jason Bramburger, a student in the Faculty of Science completing his PhD in applied mathematics, said he was hopeful that housing all the various disciplines under one roof will foster more co-operation between departments, especially mathematics and physics. Bramburger said the new building will “draw students for generations to come.”

Pamphlets distributed at the unveiling featured a digital rendering and promises that the complex will include “open-concept ‘super labs,’ 3D-printing Makerspaces, and multidisciplinary spaces.”

The westernmost side of the building, parallel with the Rideau Canal, will feature the same art seen on MacDonald Hall since 1973. “Les yeux,” a massive pair of painted eyes created by professor of visual arts James Boyd, will also be featured on the STEM Complex exterior; uOttawa’s subtle nod to the past with engines running full steam ahead.

But in some circles, the construction has been met with more grumbles than eager anticipation.

Professor of engineering Pierre Berini, has had to accommodate plenty of student “refugees,” as he calls the thousands of students that were displaced after MacDonald Hall was torn down to make way for the new building. While Berini’s office in the new Advanced Research Complex remains unaffected, the construction of STEM has caused a major disturbance for a number of his colleagues who have transplanted their entire labs to other buildings around campus.

Inconvenient construction activity has simply become a way of life for the uOttawa community, says Berini, who has worked at the University of Ottawa since 1996.

The campus is in a perpetual state of renovation with numerous interruption notices on the university website, announcing the closures of various ramps, tunnels, and roadways.

“It’s always been a construction zone,” Berini said.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/uottawas-115m-stem-complex-to-group-four-disciplines

[YOWflier]

Is this in addition to or in replacement of SITE (the not so old glass building closest to the 417 ... School of Information Technology and Engineering)?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Is this in addition to or in replacement of SITE (the not so old glass building closest to the 417 ... School of Information Technology and Engineering)?

This is a replacement of MacDonald Hall. It is a separate entity from SITE.

[FutureWickedCity]

Fantastic! I particularly like the brick-screen panels on the ground level and the way the path slopes down at an angle at the corner of the building. Now if they will just do something about that awful Colonel By building...

[McC]

funny how they neglect to show the barbed wire fence between the building and the metro tracks.