A jewel on an island amidst a sea of cars marks this unsuspecting underground lab. Located two-storeys below grade, this laboratory houses several state-of-the-art Focused Ion Beam and Electron Microscopes.

Home to the arctic explorers and scientists of the Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, this facility’s features include: a tiered lecture theatre, specialized laboratories and centralized communal spaces where graduate students and staff can carry out highly complex research.

Collaborative, transparent and connected translates into this communal space. Materials and colours are derived from nature: simple, pure, functional, showcasing the energy of learning. Spaces are well lit, technologically-supported and conducive to support interactions at all levels of the Faculty.

Transforming a traditional library into a forward-thinking, state-of-the-art learning hub, to keep up with a fast-paced highly technologically-driven campus community, was a key driver in the design of this medical learning commons.

Mimicking Robson Hall's interior moot court's auditorium-style seating, the plaza elicits ample yet intimate room for ideas and opinions to form and take shape.