York University recently celebrated the grand opening of the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, a facility that will help engineering students develop the specialized skills and knowledge required to compete for in-demand positions.
As part of the 2011 Provincial Budget, Ontaario invested $50 million in the construction of the 170,000 square foot advanced learning and research facility, which was designed by ZAS Architects in collaboration with Arup Engineering and Scott Torrance Landscape Architects.
“The Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence is a truly forward-looking, uniquely designed facility that will offer our engineering students unsurpassed experiential learning opportunities,” said Mamdouh Shoukri, president and vice-chancellor at York University, in a press release. “The Centre is an exciting addition to campus life at York – one that will give our students a distinct advantage through access to flexible, collaborative learning spaces and research labs. This is how students prefer to learn today, and we’re proud to be able to provide facilities that support and reflect 21st century education.”
The Bergeron Centre will be the new home of York University’s School of Engineering and its seven undergraduate programs including civil, computer, electrical, geomatic, mechanical, software and space engineering. The facility features cutting-edge classrooms and laboratories to accommodate over 2,000 students annually. It will also house administrative, faculty and graduate student offices.
This contribution is part of the Ontario government’s $3.6 billion in capital investments since 2003 towards Ontario colleges and universities. Over the next 10 years, the province plans to provide $3 billion in capital grants for post-secondary institutions.
