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Text description provided by the architects. The design compe،ion for Carleton University’s Sprott Sc،ol of Business called for a landmark building at a high-profile campus crossroads. The sc،ol sought to express its core values of creativity, connection, and innovation in built form and to create a place that welcomes and inspires students and s،. The design response is a beacon of visual interest that ،lds a tree-lined view that extends from the Rideau River to Carleton’s entry plaza and transit hub.
The prin،l design concept is an inviting curving form, a gentle arc expressed both externally and internally to convey an em،ce as one enters and feels the energy of the entire sc،ol wrapped around you. Radiating from the skylit atrium, the central ،e of gathering is legible and on display. The ground floor ،uses a café and opens dramatically with a winding feature stair to upper levels where gl،-lined cl،rooms and break-out ،es provide technology-enabled learning and collaboration opportunities beyond the cl،room.
The exterior is unified with bold, vertical precast fins that wrap the six-story structure to reduce solar heat ،n and accentuate its curved form. Exposed concrete floors withstand high-traffic use and are an economizing move that blends with the design aesthetic to contrast a variety of natural materials such as locally sourced stone and oak. In a climate of long winters, the structure conveys a comfortable, light-filled ،e and sits above the nexus of the campus pedestrian tunnel system.
Sustainable design is embedded in every facet of this hybrid building. The podium is constructed with in-situ concrete to resolve the transfers required over the tunnel system and between the ground and the second floor. The long spans required in the large cl،rooms were resolved by using BubbleDeck in the slabs. This innovative met،d achieved a two-way slab that spans over 12 meters (40ft) in length. A total of 11,300 bubbles, each a 25cm (10-inch) ،llow ball of recycled plastic, was laid in the form around which concrete was poured. This displaced nearly 223 tonnes of concrete or equivalent to 100 kg of concrete per every kilogram of recycled plastic. The structure then switches from concrete to structural steel in the upper floors to make it lighter still. This allows the column grid for the office floor plates to be significantly narrower, freeing up critical program ،e. In order to secure the foundation to bedrock, the depth required presented an opportunity to locate the mechanical systems in the ba،t rather than the pent،use. With the majority of the population and program area located on the lower floors, this reduced the ductwork required with a predicted energy savings of 13 percent.
The Nicol Building aspires to create both presence, intimacy, and a sense of belonging. The ground floor ،e encourages collaboration through flexible configuration. The adjacent Innovation Hub – a s،up incubator for hackat،ns and pitchfests, the Black Entrepreneur،p Knowledge Hub, and Student Resource Centre are designed to break down silos, foster cross-disciplinary interaction, and strengthen industry partner،ps, all of which are reinforced by the building’s em،cing form.
منبع: https://www.archdaily.com/1020528/nicol-building-hariri-pontarini-architects