Health Sciences Building

This new-build research and teaching facility for Carleton’s Health Sciences and Neuroscience department includes 30,000 sf of research laboratories and support, 10,000 sf of teaching labs and support, a 13,500 sf vivarium, as well as public assembly spaces, lecture theatres, student resource areas, and support spaces.

The Animal Resource Centre will house rodents; future accommodation of zebra fish is incorporated into the design. The secure, card-access only vivarium includes animal holding / behavioural testing areas, surgical suites, necropsy suites, cage wash, and areas for quarantine, as well as offices, change rooms and support spaces.

Due to the unique design of the facility, utilities feed into the building horizontally, which has allowed the vivarium to be located on an upper level, gaining access to ample natural light while remaining isolated from vibration and noise-producing air handling and related equipment. The area was designed (at Proposal / Design Competition stage) with a perimeter corridor, internal cross corridors, and segregated clean and soiled areas. Once the project team was on-board and had an opportunity to meet with users and better understand their needs, the design was altered to increase efficiency and adapt to increased programmatic needs – circulation was moved into internal corridors with a uni-directional flow and segregated clean / soiled corridor concepts remain.

The project is currently in the construction phase with an estimated completion for lab floors in late October 2017. The remainder of the building is to be completed Q1 2018. NXL is responsible for the planning and implementation of the laboratories and research areas, including the vivarium.

NXL is the Vivarium and Research Area Architect. The overall project is being undertaken in association with Montgomery Sisam Architects.