Queen’s University: Chernoff Hall

Location:   Kingston, Ontario

Client:        Queen’s University, Kingston

Size:            145,300 sq.ft./13,500 sqm.

This new addition to the Queen’s Campus is positioned to respect the principles of the campus master plan, respecting the view to the lake, and creating a pedestrian connection at mid-block. The facility faces three streets and thus addresses the residential scale of Stuart Street to the south, aids in framing the entry to the campus on Albert Street to the west and reinforces the Queen’s Crescent to the North.

The major design challenge for this project was the incorporation of the new facility into the existing tight fabric of the campus. The faculty recognized the evolving role that biological/chemical research has in advancements in the other basic sciences. The physical challenge was primarily how to connect the various floor elevations of the existing building, in a natural way, without compromising either the new or the old in the process. This approach was refined further in our incorporation of mail pick-up points, coffee areas, and lounges for informal seminars along the major paths people would take within the new building or between the existing buildings.

The building is designed to be inherently modular, flexible and adaptable. Mechanical and electrical systems are integrated with the architecture and structure to minimize runs, interference and costs while allowing serviceability and modifications.