Construction is scheduled for completion in December on an ambitious renovation and expansion project at Brock University’s Goodman School of Business in St. Catharines, Ont.
The estimated $24-million project, which incorporates an innovative blend of new construction and major upgrades to the existing space, will give the university a new landmark that reinforces the Isaac Brock Plaza area in addition to delivering modern facilities and technology.
Designed by +VG Architects and being built by Cooper Construction Ltd., the project includes 28,858 square feet of new space and 50,482 square feet of renovated space in Taro Hall, the business school’s current home.
As of mid-May, new construction was virtually complete, said Paul Smeltzer, the university’s director of capital planning and project management.
The project includes a new Bloomberg research lab, six new classrooms, five dedicated interview rooms with fixtures and technology to support prospective employers as they meet students and a new larger boardroom to accommodate faculty planning sessions and other events, he added.
The most visually defining feature will be the two-storey glass “engagement atrium” at the west end of the complex which will serve as both a work and meeting space for students and a venue for Goodman events or presentations.
A sizeable video wall will promote events on campus and in the business community.
The atrium overlooks the iconic sculpture of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock.
Taro Hall’s nine existing classrooms are being extensively renovated with new floors, ceilings, accessibility features, lighting and technology. Existing offices and spaces will either be enlarged or refreshed with new flooring and fixtures.
The overall project is currently approximately two-thirds complete, Smeltzer said. Renovation of Taro Hall is currently underway. External grading and landscape work remains to be completed.
From a construction perspective, the project has posed certain challenges in terms of the renovation of Taro Hall, which originally opened in 1990.
“Although Brock has a full library of information on the building, what was found in the field was not 100 -per-cent consistent with the as-built drawings,” Smeltzer said.
“In addition, the construction included two new wings, east and west of Taro Hall. Tying all of the services and structure together was a challenge that the architects and engineers had to meet. And they did so.”
The team includes mechanical and electrical engineering consultants Crossey Engineering Ltd. and structural engineering consultants Stephenson Engineering.
Construction got underway on the project in September 2016. Funding is being provided in part by the Ontario government, donations from the Goodman Family Foundation and others as well as by the university itself.
The Goodman School of Business is one of the country’s newest and fastest growing business schools, states the university.
“The business program at Brock is growing,” said Prof. Ken Klassen in reference to the need for expanded facilities. “The (existing) facilities do not provide for growth.”
Klassen, a professor of operations management at the business school, said the project will benefit both the school as well as the entire university.
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