Groundbreaking for $52M health sciences building

Ottawa, ON – Construction has begun on a new, $52-million Health Sciences Building at Carlton University that will include open-concept research labs that will provide greater access to experiential learning opportunities for students while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and closer interactions within departments.

The seven-storey, 120,000-square-foot building, designed by Montgomery Sisam and NXL Architects, will house neuroscience and a new health sciences department. Occupancy is set for August 2017.

The new facility will allow researchers to collaborate on topics including infectious and chronic diseases, prenatal influences and healthy aging.

“The idea is that many researchers will be sharing those large spaces,” said John Stead, chair of the Department of Neuroscience. “It will make it easier for research groups to expand and contract over time. Because we are all going to be working in that same space, it will make cross-pollination between labs and researchers much easier.”

“The new Health Sciences Building will be a great addition to our campus as we continue to provide the best research facilities possible for our researchers and our students. The building will house lab-intensive programs which will be accommodated with large, open labs — rather than small rooms,” said Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president of Carleton University.