Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Archives | Research & Innovation

Environment Minister Peter Kent tours Life Sciences Building

fmaquito — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:00 +0000

New research and teaching facility scheduled to open Fall 2011

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent paid an informal visit to 91��ɫ's Keele campus yesterday to view first-hand the results of the government's investment in Canada's current and future scientists and researchers.

Above: From left, Environment Minister Peter Kent, senior project superintendent Chris Robinson and 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri review the building blueprints

Kent, who is also MP for nearby Thornhill, was on campus to tour the construction site of the new 160,000-square-foot Life Sciences Building. The facility's construction was made possible by $70 million in federal and provincial funding through the (KIP), part of the federal government's Economic Action Plan and the Ontario government's 2009 Budget.

Right: Kent congratulates Shoukri during a ceremony on the temporary steps leading to the Life Sciences Building

"91��ɫ is pleased to have received funding under the Federal-Provincial Knowledge Infrastructure Program," said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. "These investments are enhancing 91��ɫ's solid reputation as Canada's leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university, and strengthening our capacity for quality research and innovation."

The addition of the Life Sciences Building to the Keele campus will increase available learning and research facilities for students and faculty in high-demand science and health-related disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry and kinesiology.

"As Canada begins to emerge from global recession, the investment in state-of-the-art research labs is essential to creating and securing valuable skills jobs both now and in the future," said Kent. "By modernizing research and training facilities on Canada's college and university campuses, this will help build the foundation for future growth. Our government is working to ensure the best science and innovation opportunities as well as the world's best researchers are right here on Canadian soil."

Left: Kent addresses the group gathered for the tour

Construction of the Life Sciences Building is entering its final phase. Scheduled to open this fall, it will provide top-notch learning and research facilities for up to 1,700 additional undergraduate students and up to 50 new life science researchers. Leading-edge technologies, such as a radioisotope suite and a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer for advanced imaging will be among the high-tech equipment contained in the new structure.

"This building will provide an incredible opportunity for 91��ɫ to meet the growing demand by young Canadians who would like to study life sciences and health," said Shoukri. "It will also help our young researchers to build their careers and use their knowledge to advance the frontier of understanding for the world and it will create an opportunity to help economic development through innovation."

Constructed using Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) principles, the building uses strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.

The Government of Canada's Knowledge Infrastructure Program is a $2-billion economic stimulus measure to support infrastructure enhancement at Canadian postsecondary institutions. It is part of nearly $16 billion in new infrastructure investment allocated under the Economic Action Plan since 2009.

Above: From left, 91��ɫ master's candidate Omar El-Ansari; Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinner; Vice-President Research & Innovation Stan Shapson; Environment Minister Peter Kent; President & Vice Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri; Vice-President University Relations Jennifer Sloan; Sidra Khan, a second-year life sciences student; Janusz Kozinski, dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering; and Paul Marcus, president & CEO of the 91��ɫ Foundation

The Government of Ontario also committed to investing in infrastructure by designating $780 million to colleges and universities to modernize faciilties and boost long-term research and skills training capacity.

By Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor.

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Video: Graduate students benefitting from space in 91��ɫ's Research Tower

fmaquito — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The 10-storey 91��ɫ Research Tower provides new facilities purposely designed to help graduate students be more effective researchers on floors six, seven and eight.

Professor Susan Henders, director of the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Research, spoke about the new facilities during a recent research celebration. Her remarks are available on the Research Web site's multimedia centre.

The building, which recently received Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), opened in September 2009 and features approximately 84,000 square feet (net) with wireless Internet access. It currently houses 12 research centres and two research project teams, and also provides office space for the and (ABEL) group, which provide support services for researchers. The Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, Office of Research Ethics and Office of Research Services occupy the fifth floor, along with extensive conference and meeting facilities (full occupant list).

Published by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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91��ɫ Research Tower: Creating a new model for research collaboration

fmaquito — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Researchers, faculty, administrators and staff working in the 91��ɫ Research Tower gathered on May 4 to celebrate the new building’s role in fostering social science and humanities research across 91��ɫ (all speaker videos are available in the Research Multimedia Centre).

Above: The 91��ɫ Research Tower, which opened in September 2009, features some 84,000 square feet of space and houses 12 research centres and two research project teams

“91��ɫ is a leading university in social sciences and humanities research, and nothing proves that more than a peer-review process,” said Mamdouh Shoukri, 91��ɫ's president & vice-chancellor, referencing the recent successes of 91��ɫ researchers in securing a Killam Prize, two out of four of the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) Major Collaborative Research Initiative awards, and a SSHRC Community-University Research Award.

“But having excellent researchers puts another level of responsibility on the University, which is to make absolutely sure that we have the environment and the support they need to reach their potential,” he said. “This building represents 91��ɫ’s commitment to building a research culture for success.”

The 10-storey building, which recently received , opened in September 2009 and features approximately 84,000 square feet (net) with wireless Internet access. It currently houses 12 research centres and two research project teams, and also provides office space for the and (ABEL) group, which provide support services for researchers. The Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, Office of Research Ethics and Office of Research Services occupy the fifth floor, along with extensive conference and meeting facilities (full occupant list).

“I think this is the best facility for social science and humanities research in the country, and our researchers deserve it,” said Stan Shapson (left), vice-president research & innovation. “In addition to many new technologies, it’s built on the Greek agora model of community that allows researchers to come together and collaborate, both with researchers across the University and with external groups. Some of the issues they’re studying can’t be solved in isolation. No one has all the knowledge or the strategy to do it all – we have to collaborate, which is also why we want the YRT to be a meeting place for the community to work with us.”

Chad Gaffield (left), , was also present for the event as part of a daylong visit to 91��ɫ’s Keele campus. “We use e-communications to deepen and enrich relationships that are, at least periodically, complemented by physical contact,” he said. “The genius of the YRT is its confirmation of the importance of creating face-to-face contact and then complementing those interactions through information communications technology. It’s a new model of engaged scholarship and research.”

Professor (below, right), director of the Centre for Refugee Studies on the research tower’s eighth floor, spoke about the importance of creating neighbourhoods for researchers. Since moving into the building, McGrath has formed new research connections with peers in the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Research, the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean, and , all of which are her neighbours on the eighth floor.

“Having neighbourliness, good meeting space and research resources under one roof is great,” said McGrath. “I hosted colleagues from all around the world here for a three-day session in the bright and spacious Conference Centre. With help from ABEL, we streamed parts of our meeting online, allowing those who weren’t able to travel here opportunities to participate. The facilities are fostering our sense of research culture and allowing us to work more collaboratively than I think we would have without it.”

Graduate students have also benefited from new space on floors six, seven and eight that was designed for them as researchers. “When you walk around the building, you see graduate students everywhere,” said Susan Henders, director of the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Research. “They’re working on projects, relaxing in the lounges and interacting with their peers. It’s quality space that brings them into the centres and fosters their work and professional development, complementing their graduate program training.”

Watch videos from the Research Tower opening, with remarks from President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, Vice-President Research & Innovation Stan Shapson, SSHRC President Chad Gaffield, Professor Susan Henders and Professor Susan McGrath.

“One student told me that having study space made him feel valued as a researcher and professional in the making,” Henders continued. “I want to commend the University for its foresight in recognizing the critical role graduate students play in organized research units and research on the campus.”

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer. Photos courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ Research Tower earns LEED silver certification

fmaquito — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The 91��ɫ Research Tower, which was , is also a model of sustainability.

The tower is the only building on campus to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. The internationally recognized green building certification system provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance in energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources.

“ standards were factored into the tower’s design from day one and provided solid guidelines in best practices,” says Bud Purves (left), president of the 91��ɫ Development Corporation. “After passing the six-month certification process, we’re pleased to have earned the silver designation and hope the learning from this project will be applied to other 91��ɫ buildings in the future.”

The tower’s sustainable features begin outside. The white roof and treated paving stones surrounding the building reflect heat instead of absorbing it, reducing cooling costs and the heat island effect. Its plant beds are also more self-sustaining: no potable drinking water is used for irrigation, 50 per cent of the plants were chosen because they require less water; and the beds themselves are deeper, allowing the plants to draw more water through their roots. Exterior light fixtures that reflect down instead of up or to the side also reduce the building’s light pollution.

Inside, electronic shutoffs on water fixtures and low-flush toilets reduce the tower’s water use by 30 per cent while a high-performance water boiler, leak-free structures and sun-friendly design have optimized its energy use. All equipment installations were supervised to ensure they would perform to their design specs and the building’s thermal output is monitored for compliance to LEED standards. Air quality management ensured construction dust didn’t get stuck to walls or end up under carpets while low chemical-emitting adhesives, such as paint, glue, carpet and laminates, were used to reduce the presence of phenols.

Above: The 91��ɫ Research Tower

During construction, 15 per cent of all new materials were made from recycled content; 20 per cent of extracted materials, such as gravel and stone, were sourced locally to reduce the building’s carbon footprint; and 75 per cent of extra materials were diverted from landfills.

Building occupants manage their own recycling and trash disposal, and "green" cleaning products have been introduced (see YFile, Aug. 13, 2009). In the future, educational information will also be provided to explain and educate the public about the building’s features.

“The certification reflects 91��ɫ’s strong commitment to the environment and to sustainability,” said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “I would like to acknowledge those who made this achievement possible, particularly Bud Purves and his team in the 91��ɫ Development Corporation, with support from Vice-President Stan Shapson and staff from the Research & Innovation Office and Vice-President Gary Brewer and staff from the Finance & Administration Office. I can’t say enough to thank you for your efforts.”

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer. Photos courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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