Construction on Carleton’s new Health Sciences Building is set to begin this October and scheduled to be completed in 2017.
President Roseann Runte said the new building will be located in front of the Steacie Building and will occupy part of the University Centre parking lot. The current budget for the project is $54 million.
“Come October, you will start seeing the construction. It will be located right by Steacie, on the street in front of Steacie and over into the parking lot,” Runte said. She added that reduced parking in the area was part of the reason the university built the new parking garage over the O-Train.
The winning design by Montgomery Sisam and NXL Architects will include a 350-seat lecture hall, as well as gathering spaces, classrooms, student resource rooms, and a vivarium similar to the one in River Building.
Breanna Jones, a first-year health science student, said she believes it would draw in more students to the program and make things more convenient for current students.
“The building would be known specifically for health science students. It would bring more awareness to the program. Many people still don’t know about it. It would definitely help with that.”
She said it would reduce the treks health science students take across campus. “Right now I have to walk across campus about three times each day,” she said, adding that most of her classes were in Southam Hall.
The new building will have seven floors and be accessible to health science and neuroscience students.
Jones said she believes the building would help health science students develop a sense of community.
“We have a coffee hour every Monday right now to allow people within the program to become closer,” she said. “With the building, the dynamic that is currently between the students and professors will continue to grow.”
