A Moncton building steeped in history leads the way on net-zero design
The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre ’s skylit interior lobby features a life-sized wooden whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. In Mi’kmaq culture, whales are considered the masters of sea life.A new next-gen science research hub in Moncton isn’t just setting the stage for groundbreaking discoveries – it’s leading the charge on net-zero design and rebuilding decades-long relationships with Indigenous and local communities.
In 1949, the Catholic Sisters of Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur started operating a women’s boarding school on the property, before the site was renovated in 1982 to house the Gulf Fisheries Centre, its current occupant. In addition to its climate-related goals, ASEC’s sustainable design concept creates spaces that encourage collaboration. There are common areas on each of the five floors for different researchers and non-science-focused staff to connect. In consultation with current employees and future building users, it was clear that they did not want to be placed in silos.
Elder Millea says this collaboration is crucial to save and protect the environment. “All of these clans have to work closely together to make sure the abundance of resources we’re enjoying today is preserved for the next seven generations.”The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre is scheduled for completion in 2031 and will be one of five Laboratories Canada science hubs across the country.
“The project team was open from the outset to spiritual engagement and an ongoing learning process as a way to understand and to reconcile,” Elder Millea says. That’s why the design incorporates the historical façade of the former boarding school into the new, public-facing entryway. Drawing on community consultations, the overall design is also informed by local First Nations culture, with naturally lit open spaces offering places of gathering, learning and collaboration.
Advpropertyreport Gulf Fisheries Centre Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre Diamond Schmitt Net Zero Building Moncton Heritage Building ASEC Moncton Net Zero Design Mi’Kmaq Architecture Fisheries And Oceans Canada Environment And Climate Change Canada Canadian Food Inspection Agency National Research Council Canada
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