AECL, CNL celebrate completion of Chalk River science centre
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) celebrated the grand opening of the Science Collaboration Centre, a newly constructed office complex at the Chalk River Laboratories campus near Ottawa on September 6.
Scheduled to opens its doors this fall, the six-storey, 9,500 square-metre facility will serve as the central planning and collaboration space for CNL’s science and technology program.
The building was constructed using mass timber products sourced from within Canada, and features modern office space, 44 meeting rooms, collaborative flex spaces, a university-style auditorium with 200 theatre-style seats, a welcoming library space and a roof-top terrace.
Construction was performed under an integrated project delivery arrangement, with Arnprior-based general contractor Sullivan taking the construction lead.
“This innovative and creatively stimulating space will enable collaboration with our international and academic partners, and work to foster nuclear science innovation and research. That makes the Science Collaboration Centre a vital part of our success and of our mandate to drive nuclear innovation,” said AECL President and CEO Fred Dermarkar. “I am thankful to all who worked to bring this important project to fruition, you have delivered a cutting-edge, sustainable building that will no doubt be the site of innovations in nuclear science.”
The Science Collaboration Centre is one of a series of new buildings that have recently been constructed at the Chalk River Laboratories site. The work is part of a program to revitalize the campus, and is funded by a $1.3-billion investment over ten years from AECL on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Together, the three new non-nuclear buildings use approximately 3,750 cubic metres of mass timber as structural material, sequestering carbon that is equivalent to taking 800 gas-powered cars off the road or the energy from 400 homes in a year.
The Science Collaboration Centre was also constructed using strategies that include sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, environmentally-friendly materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
“The Science Collaboration Centre is a major facility in the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories campus, and will provide CNL with a modern, flexible and dynamic collaboration centre to plan and pursue our research,” said CNL President and CEO Joe McBrearty. “It is also one of a series of new buildings made using mass timber products sourced right here in Canada, a renewable resource that reduces the carbon footprint of the Chalk River Laboratories campus.”
This and other new buildings at the Chalk River Laboratories are part of a ten-year capital program, started in 2016, that is designed to transform the Chalk River Laboratories through the revitalization of essential site infrastructure and a significant investment in new, world-class science facilities.
In addition to the Science Collaboration Centre, a state-of-the-art research complex is under construction, a new two-storey industrial-use support facility was recently inaugurated, a new site entrance building is now operational, and several science facilities have been opened in recent years, including a brand new hydrogen laboratory complex, a new materials research laboratory, and a new tritium laboratory.
Major investments have also been made into infrastructure improvements for the campus, including new domestic water and natural gas service, a modern sanitary sewage treatment facility, and a system to more effectively manage storm water.