Chemistry teaching laboratories - Otto Maass Pavilion

The renovation project for the teaching laboratories (Laboratories 1 and 100 - Otto Maass Pavilion) aimed to completely redesign the basement and ground floor of the West Block, as well as undertake roofing work on the Otto Maass Pavilion at McGill University's campus. The conceptual design (prepared by another architectural firm) was developed based on a new strategy for teaching chemistry. The laboratories are organized unconventionally: workstations in the center of the labs are round, and these units were created to meet the project's needs. The glass staircase was a key design element, connecting the two laboratory floors. To minimize disruption to teaching, the construction period was limited to one summer. Due to the tight and critical timeline, careful construction monitoring was necessary, both with the involved subcontractors and the general contractor, to adhere to the project schedule.

Many chemical hoods, including gas, air, and other services, were installed in each project phase. These had to be installed, connected, and balanced with the existing ventilation system while minimizing impacts on user activities.