Supportive Environment Support a liberal education Create a building that is vibrant and alive, with access to natural light and views Provide places for both collaboration and solitude The building must be adaptable to support future change Use durable materials and systems Put scientific activity on full display Create state-of-the-art research and training facilities
Key to creating a supportive working, teaching and
potential furniture layouts and uses. Specialized support
learning environment is to test the assumptions made
spaces, such as testing rooms, have been removed from
during the previous Schematic Design phase against the
within the dry lab areas (where possible) and centralized
Charter Goals. The design team worked intensively with
so that they can also be shared.
the various user groups to ensure that research spaces were located appropriately and were properly sized, with
ACCESS TO LIGHT AND VIEWS
optimal adjacencies. Circulation routes, both public and
Each lab neighbourhood has access to natural light and
controlled, were studied to ensure that researchers had
exterior views. Enclosed offices and open graduate
direct access to support and teaching spaces as well as to
workstations are located at the perimeter of each lab
adjacent science neighbourhoods and public amenities.
neighbourhood with views to the surrounding landscape. Alternating bays of enclosed support space and
FLEXIBLE, ADAPTABLE RESEARCH SPACE
strategically located open, more transparent support
An emphasis was placed on providing flexible, adaptable,
space provide the labs with a sense of connection to
and generic open wet bench research space capable of
the offices and natural light beyond, and foster user
supporting a diverse range of research and requiring
interaction. Neighbourhood lounges, with spectacular
minimal renovation to support new researchers and
views over the coulee landscape, are located at the tip
the expansion or contraction of research groups.
of each lab block. These spaces have direct access to
Customization of spaces to meet specific researcher
kitchen and washroom facilities and are furnished with
needs, such as enclosure and specialty equipment, was
white boards and comfortable group seating to encourage
only considered for specific reasons such as safety or
collaboration.
security. These unique areas occur in the highly serviced support spaces adjacent to the open labs, the majority of which are shared by multiple users. Dry bench research space is divided into large rooms that support a variety of
20
KPMB I STANTEC
North Atrium Student Commons and Undergraduate Student Precinct - Level 7
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE DESTINATION PROJECT DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REPORT
21