The Living, Learning Centre

Two buildings on the McMaster campus will soon be torn down to make way for a new one. The University recently announced that T28 and T29 will be replaced by a new “Living Learning Center.” The 359 000 square foot building will boast residence space, classrooms, underground parking, and will house certain student and hospitality services. The building will also be the new location for the daycare that was displaced when construction began on L.R. Wilson Hall.

Dean of Students Sean Van Koughnett was excited to discuss the initiative. “There isn’t really a lot of space on campus to put up new buildings so we’re looking at this as an opportunity we have to take advantage of... I’m not sure we’ll have another chance like this in the foreseeable future,” he said.

The project has been allotted a $118 million budget and will be financed by the University. “Similar to how a household would take out a mortgage,” Van Koughnett explained.

The current proposal shows the building to be 12 storeys, eight of which will be residence floors. A total of 500 new suite style and traditional with washroom spaces will be available, which will significantly contribute to meeting the demand for more residence rooms. The remaining floors will hold large and small classrooms and student services, specifically the Student Wellness Center and Student Accessibility Services. The building will also include public space for students to relax and hold informal meetings.

Although the Student Wellness Center was renovated last winter, Van Koughnett expressed the desire to put these services in a more prominent and convenient location. The SWC was renovated to improve accessibility for students in wheelchairs and make reception areas more private so more students felt comfortable seeking help. “These were deficiencies that were important enough to address now and we determined that it shouldn’t wait four years… students entering first year this fall will be done before the building is projected to open,” Van Koughnett said.

While current students will have graduated by the time the Living Learning Center is slated to open in Fall 2019, Van Koughnett emphasized the importance of student involvement in the project, citing former MSU President Teddy Saul’s involvement on the design committee. Once an architect has been hired and details have been confirmed, he said “we definitely want [student] involvement on all aspects of the building.” He is hopeful that an architect will be hired over the course of the summer and that ground-breaking is anticipated within the next year.

Van Koughnett anticipates the Living Learning Center will be a successful and rewarding endeavor. He said, “I’m confident that if we get the right people involved, and we have a student voice that we’ll end up with something we’re really proud of.”