U of C announces construction of seven new buildings
By Sheroog Kubur, August 21 2023—
On August 15, the U of C announced it approved the construction of seven new buildings dedicated to the Haskayne School of Business. The announcement came following increased complaints of a lack of available study spaces on campus for business students.
The new buildings were announced as part of a plan to rejuvenate the campus community and strengthen the culture of the campus. It was part of the Bring UCalgary to Life initiative as designed by graduate business students. The initiative focuses on providing students with the resources necessary to strengthen the campus community and promote interdisciplinary education pathways.
“We believe that these new buildings will truly bring new life to the campus,” said Don Johnson, the head architect of the U of C. “These buildings are designed by business students for business students, so we have lots of hope for them.”
The buildings will begin construction immediately and will each take up to three years to complete. The projected completion date for the full project is 2030, although the university recently received a grant of $750 million from the government of Alberta to thank them for its contribution to economic development.
“We haven’t seen a university take initiative in creating a more welcoming campus like this in a long time,” said Kathy Phoenix, a UCP representative. “Clearly the U of C is committed to bringing students what they want and providing plenty of opportunities for work alongside that.”
The initiative worked alongside students of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape to create innovative and unique designs for each of the buildings. Students of the school were able to earn course credits by assisting in the design and layout of each building. The students who contributed to the final design were offered a $50 Bookstore gift card for their contributions.
The construction of the new buildings is part of phase one of the Bring UCalgary to Life initiative. This phase includes the imminent demolition of Craigie Hall and the merging of the Haskayne School of Business and the School of Creative and Performing Arts. The later phases include the merging of the Social Sciences department with the new Haskayne School of Business and Performing Arts and the construction of an additional six buildings.
The Bring UCalgary to Life initiative is available in full through their website.
This article is part of our fake news column in the humour section.