U of O to build new Learning Centre by 2018

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by mykl

Honestly that building looks pretty lifeless and bland inside

Agreed, and the seating all looks very uncomfortable. Those backrests look useless.

[eltodesukane]

" LIBRARY SPACES
15 collaborative study rooms (x10-14 seats)
5 multimedia studios and 25 multimedia PCs
3 study suites (x150 seats)
1 data visualization room (x50 seats)
1 gaming room (x50 seats) "
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25 multimedia PCs, for how many students?
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Not sure about those columns... kind of fragile... and ugly.

[J.OT13]

I see what they were going for, but they missed the mark a little bit.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I see what they were going for, but they missed the mark a little bit.

Perhaps for we post university types they have missed the mark? However, if this article in the student newspaper The Fulcrum is accurate, they are bang on in achieving the mark that today's students want them to. I trust that they will find that the new StEM building does as well. (I have talked to students who take courses in FSS and have not heard any complaints about that building).

Learning Crossroads a blueprint for future campus buildings
Artyom Zalutskiy 2018/02/05

Look at this building, it’s full of outlets! Photo: Christine Wang.
Plugs, study space, open concept a must for new construction

Students desperately searching for study spaces on campus can rejoice, as the seemingly endless rounds of construction at the University of Ottawa have resulted in something we can all enjoy: the Learning Crossroads building. While not completely finished, the building has recently opened its doors for students, providing more study spaces, and importantly, endless outlets. These features, combined with bright lighting, an open concept, and plenty of modern facilities make it a blueprint for future construction projects on campus.
Our campus has been in desperate need of a makeover for years, with the large majority of the buildings on campus being old, small, inaccessible, dark, and generally outdated. However the Learning Crossroads building is a beacon of light on our otherwise bleak campus, housing two lecture halls, more than a dozen group study rooms, various technologies, and over one thousand study spaces.
The building itself, situated behind Lamoureux Hall, is incredibly modern. It’s well designed with an open-concept layout that is foolproof to navigate, with plenty of large windows, that combined with the right lighting, make it cheery and welcoming to all students.
A central focus of the Learning Crossroads building is new technology which the university hopes will capture students’ interest and enhance learning. The gaming room lets students try new tools such as the Oculus Rift, drones, and the Nintendo Switch, and there is an enormous 8k video screen covering a wall which students can use for data visualization. A multipurpose room houses a piano and a hardwood floor aimed to improve the teaching of music and dance.
Perhaps the most notable technological achievement is the inclusion of outlets in every corner of the building. An abundance of outlets may not seem noteworthy, but the lack of outlets in many buildings at the U of O has been a large issue for students who have wasted valuable study time hunting for an unused outlet across campus. With the new Learning Crossroads building, the days of not being able to use the perfect study spot because it has no outlet nearby and having to bring an extension cord or power bar to campus may be over.
We owe the U of O administration a pat on the back for listening to students’ concerns about modernizing our campus. The Learning Crossroads building is a huge improvement for the university that will greatly enhance learning for students, and hopefully this building will serve as a bases for future construction projects on our campus.

[Vanier]

I'm a regular to that space and I like it. Between meetings on campus, I'll sit in an easy chair and reply to emails as I wait for my next meeting. It is bright and quite welcoming.

[SkeggsEggs]

My girlfriend and I's favourite spot to hang out on campus now! A nice change from the Marion basement.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by SkeggsEggs

My girlfriend and I's favourite spot to hang out on campus now! A nice change from the Marion basement.

Ha---I did a B.Sc. a long long time ago and spent a lot of time in Marion. There were few spaces to hang out then.

I imagine that STEM will have some great places for science students to hang out as well.

[McKellarDweller]

I was at UOttawa 2002-2006. Like many of us, I had a bunch of classes in converted non-heritage 50-80 year-old buildings, and some portables, and the square footage of newly-opened “fresh”, aesthetically pleasing parts of campus was very low. No living green walls, or voluminous, bright atriums to meander through on your way to a fresh classroom.

The ratio of development and improvement to the campus starting just after I left 2007-2017+ versus 1996 to 2006 is staggering, and nice to see.

Given that tuition when I went was way more (in nominal and real terms) than it was in the 1970s to early 1990s, I feel entitled to whine that myself and anyone at UOttawa in the late 90s to mid 00s were there the worst time tuition-value wise in modern history!

Oh well