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DECEMBER 2018 | 45 Goodman School of Business Expansion – Brock University RENDERING COURTESY +VG ARCHITECTS Goodman School of Business Expansion – Brock University by LAURIE JONES LOCATION 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Brock University ARCHITECT +VG Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Cooper Construction Limited STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Stephenson Engineering MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Crossey Engineering Ltd. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT MHBC Planning, Urban Design & Landscape Architecture TOTAL SIZE 79,341 square feet (reno and addition) TOTAL COST $24 million H aving already established itself as a first-class program at Brock University, the Goodman School of Business has undergone a major reno- vation, adding almost 29,000 square feet of new area and extensive renova- tions to the existing Taro Hall. "This was a phased project in that we built two new sections onto the existing Taro Hall, then moved people into the new area while the contrac- tor, Cooper Construction, was in the process of doing the renovations in Taro Hall," says Paul Smeltzer, the University's director of capital plan- ning and project management. "It's a pretty complex construction project. We are expecting substantial per- formance by December 18 but the final move won't happen until late December or early January." The $24-million project will serve the 3,600 students well. "Our faculty of business does a lot of co-operative edu- cation, so part of the renovation was to facilitate having employers on cam- pus to do interviews. The Goodman School of Business highly encourages networking in the business world, even before the students graduate. We strive to have the best and brightest students so it's in the employers' best interest to take the time to do that networking." Smeltzer explains the project cre- ated seven new classrooms, five new interview rooms, and renovated eight classrooms. "We also have some unique spaces including a large, two-storey atrium that can accommodate multi- purpose events. Our Bloomberg room is a computer area with 10 workstations where students can do their projects using high-performance computers," he says. "The classrooms are fully equipped with modern AV systems and other equipment to make the teaching and learning consistent with modern pedagogical standards. It's a well- designed functional building with a lot of glass curtain walls. This helps us con- tinue to attract great students because of the spaces we are providing." The four-storey building at the Goodman School is connected by a bridge system to accommodate movement, particularly in the cold winter months, making it a well contained campus. "Taro Hall was the home of the School of Business at Brock University, but with the seed money from the Goodman family, the administra- tion was able to create new student and teaching spaces, and rebrand it all under the Goodman School of Business name," says Chris Hall, part- ner, +VG Architects. "Taro Hall needed refreshing due to its age and highly rigid design so we peeled away oddly shaped stairwell towers and replaced them with new flexible, contemporary spaces, and maximized natural light. Taro Hall's interiors were updated with new LED lighting, new wiring for IT, new finishes, and a roof to give the 30-year-old building a renewed lease on life." He explains the University's acces- sibility standards were incorporated in all the new and renovated classrooms, and new universal washrooms were provided that bring the building up to current expectations by users. "This project was very much a collaborative process because we had the construc- tion managers on board well before the first shovel went into the ground. There was a lot of design input from the trades and the University in terms of problem-solving." Hall says because the school was active during the phased construction, it was a challenge to maintain all the systems, particu- larly mechanical and electrical. "There have been a couple of moves along the way, and we tried to schedule the work on classrooms during the summer months, but virtually doing a complete gut of the building and keeping it oper- ational is a real success story."

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