Retrofit of Ralph Pickard Bell Library - Mount Allison University

in progress

The project encompasses a major refurbishment of the Ralph Pickard Bell Library building at Mount Allison to serve Southeast New Brunswick and beyond. The Hub will be a catalyst for rural economic development, entrepreneurship, work-integrated learning, business incubation, social ventures, and teaching innovation. Renovations will radically reduce aspects of the building’s carbon footprint and deferred maintenance, while offering new resources and spaces to the communities of the Tantramar region. Refurbishment will be undertaken with environmental sustainability at the forefront of decision-making and will make the Hub the greenest building on campus. The building will feature use of materials and technology that maximize their value, prevent ’upstream’ pollution, and conserve resources. For example, new HVAC systems will be installed to provide healthy indoor air to building occupants and for energy efficiency and system controllability, and the proposed sustainable design will meet Green Globes standards. The Hub for Innovation & Learning will generate opportunities to connect businesses and employers with students and faculty and give us the opportunity to draw community members to campus and provide all with access to technology, mentors, expertise, knowledge, and resources. Students will come to the Hub from middle and high schools across the province to participate in entrepreneurship workshops. Corporations and boards will use the Hub for retreats and workshops. Community agencies and students will forge new partnerships. The Hub will offer bookable venture zones, maker spaces, tech support, student areas, multimedia and broadcasting labs, and other discovery and innovation-oriented spaces. It will facilitate new ways of teaching and learning, showcase and attract students, connect with community, and foster innovation and population growth in the area.