Category Archives: Planning

Downtown Dr. Foster James Penny Building opens May 16!

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The department of Facilities’ Project Management Office has been hard at work updating and renovating the downtown Dr. Foster James Penny Building.

University of Lethbridge officials will officially open building in downtown Lethbridge on Thursday, May 16 beginning at 11 a.m.

Penny Building lobby rendering - Small

An artist’s conception of the lobby area inside the Penny Building.

The building, formerly a furniture store, is located in downtown Lethbridge at 324 5th St. S.

It was gifted to the U of L by long-time Lethbridge residents and restaurant entrepreneurs Jim and Hazel Penny. The building is named in honour of their late son Foster, a noted medical doctor and educator who passed away at age 44 in 1992.

In addition to providing a gallery space for Fine Arts students, the 2,862 gross sq. m. (approximately 30,000 sq.ft.) building also provides an ideal space for community events, with two large meeting rooms which are equipped with audio-visual equipment and flexible seating.

The Penny Building is also home to the U of L’s alumni relations office, the annual giving program offices and a U of L gift store.

The building has undergone extensive interior renovations, and in addition to the enhancements to the main floor spaces, now features an elevator, renovated and accessible washrooms, upgraded mechanical systems and a fresh and contemporary interior décor.

Read more about the project here.

 

Campus Master Plan ratified

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A new University Campus Master Plan was ratified by the U of L Board of Governors Thursday, Dec. 13.

The 217-page document will be published in the New Year. It contains recommendations to guide the planning decisions for the physical campus at U of L for the next 25 years. For example, the UCMP would aid in the development of the proposed Destination Project by pinpointing a location for the new facility and emphasizing the functional parameters that help to create a unique campus identity and student experience.

Key planning principles of the UCMP include:

  • Establishing a campus Gateway along Aperture Drive.
  • Framing a new “Coulee Quad” creating a campus heart.
  • Interconnecting buildings that engage the coulees.
  • Creating a unique brand of architecture that integrates with landscape.
  • Generating a unique campus identity and experience.

For more details on the plan check out the Fall 2012 edition of SAM magazine.

More information on the UCMP can also be found at http://www.uleth.ca/masterplan.

An open house celebrating the new plan will take place Jan. 28, 2013. Details on the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Report outlines vision for renewal of University Hall

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The impending release of the University Campus Master Plan and forthcoming Strategic Planning are important milestones for the University that will help shape the future of our campus and University community.

One of the University’s goals is to become a comprehensive research university with a strong focus on graduate studies and a foundation in liberal arts. Part of that goal is to provide an up-to-date science program and the U of L has earmarked a new science facility as its highest capital priority.

This endeavour is dubbed The Destination Project and is composed of three main elements: New construction geared toward supporting high-intensity science research and teaching; the redevelopment of vacated space in University Hall for alternate users; and the development of additional campus infrastructure to provide heating and cooling, emergency power, and other related support.

The University Hall Renewal Visioning and Inception Planning Report is the latest milestone in the three-tiered project.

The document describes the long-term vision for University Hall, its future purpose and the conceivable mixture of building uses. It also touches on design principles and the possible reorganization of University Hall’s physical layout.

View the report here.

More information and history on The Destination Project can be found here.

Proposed project looks to expand study space on campus

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Having a place to study on campus is an important part of student life. However, informal learning and social spaces outside of the classroom is sparse. Markin Hall is currently the only building on campus that meets a new established minimum target (15 per cent) assigned for learning spaces. Other than the Library Information Network Centre (LINC), less than five per cent of space in our campus buildings is currently allocated as informal study space.

To address the shortfall, Facilities is presently undertaking a planning initiative that would not only see the creation of more study hubs and commuter lounges for students, it would also see the reorganization of the library in order to house a Learning Commons with customized, functional learning environments.

A Key Parameters document outlining the framework of the project is available here.