Construction of the New Building
Building a united Faculty… in two steps
There is a notable liveliness, a bustling energy growing at the heart of the Faculty of Social Sciences and with each passing day, it can be felt a little more strongly as we finally near the moment when, for the first time in its history, the entire Faculty will be united (almost!) under one same roof.
Check out the following photo gallery links to sneak a peek at how the construction of the new Social Sciences Building, set to be inaugurated in 2012, is evolving.
- Demolition (2009)
- Construction (2010 – Spring 2011)
- Summer 2011
- September 2011
- Latest photos – Construction Site Tour, December 2011
- Architects’ conceptual drawings of the finished building
Renovating Vanier Hall…
the first step in uniting the Faculty
In December 2010, the Faculty of Social Sciences took the first step towards this long-standing dream of bringing its various units, centres and laboratories in closer proximity to one another thanks to the relocation of the School of Psychology from 200 Lees to 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier. Today, the School of Psychology is finally housed in Vanier Hall, right in the heart of the downtown campus.
Step two…
laying the foundation for the new Social Sciences Building
Construction of the new Social Sciences Building, adjacent to Vanier Hall, is advancing quickly. This constitutes the second step in making our dream of a united Faculty a reality. The building will be linked to Vanier Hall through passageways and will offer its occupants a variety of features such as:
- 15 stories and 11,700 sq. feet of space
- New and updated classrooms (one specifically accommodating up to 225 people)
- A large multipurpose room
- New spaces dedicated to students
- An atrium enhanced with a living wall, several stories in height.
Greening the Faculty: from container to content
The new Social Sciences building, designed by the architectural firm of Diamond and Schmitt, is pursuing a gold-level certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program. This concern for the environment and for our collective ecological footprint is gaining ground at the University of Ottawa and specifically within the Faculty of Social Sciences as we prepare to adopt the Faculty’s strategic plan, Vision 2020. Indeed, ensuring our position as “a leader in sustainable development” is one of the objectives of this plan.
