In the heart of Hamilton, Ontario, an 82,400 sq. ft. expansion has been added to the original Life Sciences Building (LSB). Our Toronto team collaborated with consultants and construction partners to completely reimagine the five-storey facility. We renovated existing classrooms, study areas, barrier-free bathrooms, and a mass-timber lobby fitted with new lighting, while also adding an 11,400 sq. ft. below-grade greenhouse that will serve the Department of Biology's faculty, staff, and students.
This greenhouse is the first building on campus to utilize a geothermal heating system and offers space to accommodate over 200 plant species from various climate zones. To ensure the building meets future experimental requirements, our team and consultants collaborated with campus professors to create climate control systems that maintain precise conditions, regardless of external temperatures.
The university expects that the new building will increase community engagement. The original greenhouse previously welcomed upwards of 3,000 visitors each year, including Hamilton residents, students, faculty, staff, children attending McMaster camps, and McMaster Children’s Hospital patients and families. With its accessible design, the greenhouse aims to enhance visitor experience, and the university has planned added programming such as yoga and recreational classes for space.