Connect with Infrastructure

Faculty and students anticipate completion of the Atrium

When the roof was put on the new Atrium, Dr. Jeremy Lundholm was ready to start working, never mind that the walls had yet to be built.

The biology professor is the green roof guru on campus, and the new Atrium green roof will be his next playground. He and his team of graduate students have already been studying plant life on the roof of the library, though conditions haven’t been ideal.

“The current library setup isn’t representative of what a real green roof will be,” Dr. Lundholm explains. “The library roof gets some shade, whereas the Atrium roof is highly exposed. About as harsh as it gets for the plants.”

Using experimental green roof technology, Dr. Lundholm and his team will develop strategies to keep the Atrium warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, while also helping it consume less energy. Storm-water retention on the roof also allows the team to nourish the plants while reducing the water flow into the sewer system.

Dr. Lundholm is also enthusiastic about the learning opportunities the new experimental green roof presents.

“The graduate students are researching here, undergraduates will have classes here and even kids from the discovery camp are experiencing this unique environment,” he said.

Don’t let Dr. Lundholm’s passion for the green roof distract you; The Atrium has many state-of-the-art facilities for every faculty.

The Atrium is a physical and virtual campus connection. Providing new access to the Patrick Power Library, the McNally Building and the Burke Building, the wireless Atrium will become a communal learning space when it officially opens in January 2010.

Already establishing its presence on campus, the $17.5 million, three-storey Atrium features a main floor Global Learning Commons, 100-seat lecture theatre, interior living wall, and cafe. The second and third floors will house teaching and study space, offices and research space.

In addition to its unique offering of amenities, The Atrium has earned silver with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

“The whole Global Learning Commons as a set of combined services and facilities is what students need in this day and age to engage and take part in a true learning experience,” says Dean of Arts Dr. Esther Enns. “We want to prepare our students with the skills to access information, process their research, and communicate the knowledge they have attained.”

The construction of The Atrium follows the official opening of the $25.5 million Science Building project. The renovation modernized the existing five-storey, 71,500-square-foot science building, and included the construction of a five-story, 22,500 square foot addition to the north end of the building.

This upgrade also includes the new ACEnet Data Cave, which provides a virtual reality environment to allow researchers to visualize graphic representations of phenomena based on scientific calculations.

The Data Cave has been provided to ACEnet by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), with matching funds from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust.

“We must provide our students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art tools and learning spaces that foster discovery,” says Saint Mary’s President Dr. J. Colin Dodds. “Our country’s prospects for economic growth and societal well-being will greatly depend on its capacity to develop and apply new technology.

“This is more than bricks and mortar. This is an investment in people, ideas and processes—an investment in the future—and we are committed to helping people reach their full potential.”