Backgrounder: New Buildings to Address Future Teaching, Research Needs

UVic’s new $50 million, 10,920 square metre science building will include 350-seat and 140-seat tiered lecture theatres.

It will provide a central facility for the school of earth and ocean sciences whose faculty and research associates are currently spread out among seven buildings on campus, including some Second World War army huts. Being together in one building will result in better collaboration among the geophysics research group, the climate research group, and the geochemists, earth scientists and biological oceanographers. SEOS researchers are world leaders in oceans and climate change research.

Eight chemistry researchers requiring special air-handling facilities will also move to the new science building. Without it, extensive and costly ventilation renovations would soon be needed in the Elliott Building to accommodate the synthetic chemistry program. The researchers’ departure from Elliott will provide more room for the other chemistry and physics programs.

The new science building will be constructed adjacent to the Elliott Building.