Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) recently opened a new building that will provide interdisciplinary learning and research space for its faculties of Science and Engineering. The design takes design cues from natural elements and local building traditions. The atrium features an 82-foot-long blue whale skeleton that washed ashore in Newfoundland. This artifact reflects the university’s ocean-related expertise and inspires scientists and researchers.
The Core Science Facility houses Electrical and Computer Science, and includes research and learning labs, renewable energy curricula, and rooftop research labs that overlook solar panels and wind turbines. The teaching lab and research labs are co-located so undergraduates can assist with graduate research and participate in more hands-on learning opportunities.
The facility’s three tower block pavilions are linked by two tall vertical atria that promote interaction among students, researchers, and instructors from different disciplines. The North Atlantic’s rugged icebergs and local marine environment inspired the building’s shape and colors.
The main floor concourse is a vibrant social hub and another area for cross-disciplinary interaction. It also houses aquatics labs and classroom, lab, and meeting space for the Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training (CREAIT) Network.
The second floor is more student-focused, with project studios, computer labs, classrooms, and collaboration areas for hands-on learning. The three upper levels contain research labs and learning spaces for graduate students. Co-locating research and teaching labs enable students to share specialized equipment, exposing undergraduate students to post-graduate research.
Flexible furniture, pod workstations, and flat panel screens in lab spaces support group work. Windows into these lab and studio spaces provide a view into research taking place on all five floors.
On the sustainability front, chilled beams and a heat recovery wheel reduce the building’s energy use by 40 percent compared to a conventional design. The facility also offers private practice space for outside partners, including the Ocean Frontier Institute, to work alongside university researchers.
Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: Memorial University Newfoundland
Design architect: HOK
Architect of record: HOK
MEP engineer: TTN in association with RG Vanderweil
Structural engineer: DBA in association with Entuitive
General contractor/construction manager: MARCO
Related Stories
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
University Buildings | May 5, 2023
New health sciences center at St. John’s University will feature geothermal heating, cooling
The recently topped off St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University in New York City will feature impressive green features including geothermal heating and cooling along with an array of rooftop solar panels. The geothermal field consists of 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground which will help to heat and cool the 70,000 sf structure.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
University Buildings | Apr 24, 2023
Solving complicated research questions in interdisciplinary facilities
University and life science project owners should consider the value of more collaborative building methods, close collaboration with end users, and the benefits of partners who can leverage sector-specific knowledge to their advantage.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Higher Education | Apr 13, 2023
Higher education construction costs for 2023
Fresh data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a two-story college classroom building across 10 U.S. cities.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
University Buildings | Apr 11, 2023
Supersizing higher education: Tracking the rise of mega buildings on university campuses
Mega buildings on higher education campuses aren’t unusual. But what has been different lately is the sheer number of supersized projects that have been in the works over the last 12–15 months.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University's research on advanced building sensors provokes heated controversy
A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.
