Research, Laboratory & Scientific – Nycum + Associates

Environmental Health Centre

Admin — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 18:22:17 +0000

The Environmental Health Centre, operated by the Dalhousie University Medical School, is the first of its kind in Canada. It focuses on the disorder generally known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and the fundamental philosophy that informed its design is that the design of the landscape, the building and its systems, the selection of building materials and the construction process should all convey a healthy and healing environment where people can get better.

Dalhousie University: Flexible Learning & Research

Admin — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 18:16:36 +0000

Our work at Dalhousie University spans a decade and includes research, Master planning, renovations and teaching labs. Over the years we have completed several projects, at various scales, across several of Dalhousie’s faculties.

Our multi-phased renovation of Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law teaching labs and addition of a moot court included challenges like adapting a constrained structural and spatial environment to provide significantly increased ventilation and acoustic control and absorption. The project included extensive asbestos remediation while the facility remained operational, and strategic phasing to be ready for use at the beginning of the school year.

Nycum has also produced the Master Plan for Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine, where we continue to provide renovations and upgrades to the existing facilities.

In 2012, we completed the renovation of a merchant townhouse to create a research laboratory, data collection centre and testing site for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging that will study the health of 50,000 Canadians through a 20-year long-range study.

New Acadia Biology Building

Admin — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:34:59 +0000

In a team that included Barrie & Langille Architects (Halifax), Moriyama & Teshima Architects (Toronto) and KWC Architects (Ottawa), we provided functional programming, full architectural design services and equipment consulting for the teaching and research laboratories and support spaces for this project: the renovation of an existing 1920’s science building and addition of a new biology research and teaching facility.

Laboratory spaces include teaching labs, prep rooms, and research labs for graduate students and teaching staff. We encouraged the flexibility of these high-tech spaces by using the modular design of components and layouts. The building’s animal care facility has a specific emphasis on aquatic animals and includes salt and fresh water fish habitats, surgery and observation rooms.

This LEED™ Gold building incorporates innovative water and energy conservation systems – a particular challenge given the demands that traditional laboratory spaces place on such building components.

See Acadia University’s virtual tour of this building.