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St. Jerome’s University Renewal | ?m | ?m| 7 fl | 2 fl | U/C
#1
St. Jerome’s University Renewal
http://www.sju.ca/about-sju/discover-sju...newal-2015
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects
Construction firm: Graham Group Ltd
Project: 2 story 2,087 sqm academic building, expanded library and a new 7 story residence building with 360 beds.

Academic building

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Residence image source

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Site Plan

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#2
A renewed Vision
Dec 2, 2011 | RON KIELSTRA | UWimprint.ca | LINK


Quote:St. Jerome’s University has some big plans to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2015, including the construction of a new dormitory, expanded student spaces, and a renewed commitment to the Catholic and local communities.
But while a new strategic vision, titled “Strategic Vision 2015 and Beyond,” was approved by St. Jerome’s board of governors in January 2011, President David Perrin played down the idea that the document marks a radical change for the institution, saying that the new development is simply an extension of the university’s guiding principles.“We’re always looking for new ways to engage students and educate the whole person,” said Perrin. “The principles that guided us and continue to guide us are the principles of social justice; the principle of student education that involves the student at all levels, intellectual and spiritual; and engagement in community outreach.”And in the plan approved by the board, St. Jerome’s has re-articulated these principles in a modern way, producing a coherent, multi-tiered vision to address many of the ideas raised during a three year consultation process. Five strategic directions have been identified, beginning with a commitment to offering a top quality education and to consolidating their place within the Catholic community — areas where Perrin believes the school is already making gains.“The Catholic identity has been enhanced through the master’s in Catholic thought program, and the outreach to our diocesan partners has enhanced and grown our Catholic identity with the Catholic schools in the area and the parishes in the diocese,” Perrin said, noting that these efforts to engage the community have been helped by the school’s strong academic reputation.“We do hire faculty who are quite excellent; this past year, for example, two got excellent teaching awards,” Perrin pointed out. “It’s pretty significant: only four are given and St. Jerome’s got two of them.”The university has also taken steps to ensure that they are able to meet their goals of enhancing and improving their relationships with their own alumni and with the non-Catholic community.

To that end, a 14 member alumni advisory committee was formed this year, and representatives from each of the past five decades have been invited to participate in efforts like an alumni-student mixer, which are aimed at further engaging current students. The event, which is set to take place in February, will give students a chance to talk to successful St. Jerome’s graduates and build connections with alumni.

Faculty and staff are also getting in on the act by volunteering to provide their services to the larger community. Project ploughshares, a prominent Waterloo-based NGO with a focus on disarmament and peace building, recently named St. Jerome’s Prof. Scott Kline the chair of their board of directors. And Kline, who is also the acting chair of the department of religious studies, is just one example of many St. Jerome’s staffers who have made time to be involved in academic outreach and volunteer agencies.

It’s the fifth and final area of development that the St. Jerome’s board of directors approved in their strategic vision that will have the most visible impact on campus life, though. A new residence will be constructed and the current residences will be re-developed to accommodate the institution’s growing needs for administrative and teaching spaces. The school’s library will also be expanded, and a large amount of space will be dedicated to creating a student hub with support services, clubs, and lounge areas.

In fact, enhancing the student experience is one of the central aims of the entire project, and creating social gathering spaces is part of the school’s ongoing efforts to keep current with the demands of student life. Perrin believes that St. Jerome’s has a strong record of being proactive when it comes to ensuring that there are adequate social and study spaces for students — in large part because, in his view, the two are one and the same.“Students study together and socialize together at the same time,” Perrin noted. “Frequently, for example, I go down to our coffee shop ... and see students gathered together, having their coffee with their laptops, and they’re working. We’re already addressing that need for our students and we want to do more of that.”Perrin was quick to point out, though, that there is still quite a bit of work to be done before these dreams can become a reality. There are some financial hurdles to clear before the first phase of the project, the construction of the new residence, can begin, and unlike the University of Waterloo, the public purse is not available to help mitigate the costs involved.“The University of Waterloo has access to infrastructure funding from the Government of Ontario,” said Perrin, “and as a federated, faith-based university, we don’t have access to that funding. New buildings that are put up on our campus need to be funded through other means.”Funding challenges aside, Perrin also recognized that logistical challenges stemming from St. Jerome’s small campus size will need to be dealt with, and that any potential impacts on the student body — the need for alternative walking routes or the amount of noise generated by construction, for example — will require attention. Even so, it appears that everyone involved with St. Jerome’s strategic plan is anxious to get started.“The students are very excited about what we’re doing we’ve had lots of positive feedback,” Perrin said, noting that St. Jerome’s has also enjoyed a constructive relationship with University of Waterloo officials. “It has been quite affirming, I have to say — we’re committed to the same goals, objectives, and ideals.”And as St. Jerome’s University approaches its sesquicentennial, this commitment is as strong as ever.“150 years is a very remarkable milestone,” Perrin noted. “What began here began a long time ago, and we’re building upon that foundation and ensuring the next 150 years of success.”
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#3
ST. JEROME’S UNIVERSITY RENEWAL
April 11, 2014 | Diamond Schmitt Architects | LINK


Quote:TORONTO – A ground-breaking ceremony today marks a new chapter in the 150-year life of St. Jerome’s University at University of Waterloo. It also marks a new collaborative design process to realize a campus expansion project.

The SJU Campus Renewal will add a seven-storey student residence and two-storey academic building. Reconfigured roads, landscaping and new parking will transform the existing campus and create a new gateway to the University.

Diamond Schmitt Architects, Graham Construction and St. Jerome’s are pursuing an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model – one of the first examples in Canada of this design and construction process where architect, contractor and client enter into an agreement to operate as a team.

“This is a trailblazing project for all of us and I commend St. Jerome’s vision to become an active participant,” said David Dow, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects. The IPD model emphasizes closer collaboration to optimize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.

“Through the innovative process of IPD, St. Jerome’s University is embarking on its single biggest capital investment. The newly designed spaces will fit nicely with the University’s program and help deliver on its mission of educating the whole person,” said Darren Becks, St. Jerome’s Vice-President of Administration.

The project design blends the new with existing campus infrastructure and its emphasis on open space, courtyards and covered walkways. The desire to extend and augment the existing community has been at the heart of the project’s development.

The 2,087-square-metre academic building is organized around a central atrium. Opening off the atrium on two floors are a variety of flexible classroom configurations and a raked-seat room for 300 people. With extensive glazing at its entrance, the building provides a welcoming, student-focused point of entry that serves as a new campus gateway.

The residence building comprises 360 student beds arranged in two clusters of 30 beds on six floors with two don rooms per floor. The ground floor has physical recreation amenities as well as study, games and music rooms. The building shape creates two new courtyards similar in scale to the existing central courtyard that defines the heart of the campus.

The IPD model allows for a shortened construction schedule for the $47-million project. Completion of both buildings is slated for January 2016.
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#4
September 19, 2014

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#5
December 12, 2014

   
   
   
   

Also, looks like there's a fairly new cell tower between St. Jerome's and the Health Services Building.

   
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#6
Thank you MaxT63 for the photo update!!
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#7
The 4th picture is Renison's new academic building, scheduled to open by mid 2015, including 14 new classrooms, lounge space, offices, and an atrium connecting the current and new buildings.

The cell tower went up in the summer.
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#8
what's with the font size of the first post?
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#9
(12-16-2014, 01:36 PM)insider Wrote: what's with the font size of the first post?

A leftover from the transition with the WRConnected rebranding in October.
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#10
March 1, 2016:
   

Doesn't really look much like the original render at the top of the thread to me.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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