UOIT’s SIRC building open for business

UOIT has added another piece of the puzzle for its plans for the future.

On Nov. 2, the public received its first look at the school’s newest building, the Software and Informatics Research Centre (SIRC).

The four-storey, 7,600-square-metre building officially opened in the fall, featuring new classroom spaces and a Faculty of Business and Information Technology incubator that facilitates student startups and interaction with community and industry partners.

An Engineering Innovation Studio offers undergraduate students the means to design and test solutions in a supported setting while working. This studio is equipped with 3D printers, electronics, coding and construction tools, and building materials.

The centre also features a wide variety of research laboratories in fields such as robotics, electronics engineering, gaming, business analytics, network security, software engineering, and mobile computing while also centralizing the university’s Office of the Registrar into a single location, using 22 per cent less space on campus.

“North Oshawa has been a hub of innovation for more than 100 years,” said UOIT president and vice-chancellor Dr. Tim McTiernan. “It is our honour to carry on that tradition of innovation and tradition of exploration.”

A resource that will be used by both students and staff for years to come, McTiernan says the SIRC encapsulates the university’s future and “shows what we seek to do as a teaching and research facility.”

The centre cost approximately $33 million to construct, with the federal and provincial governments chipping in $11.8 million and $1.2 million respectively.

UOIT covered the remainder of the costs from its capital reserves and support from the university’s donors, alumni and benefactors in the business community.

McTiernan said the centre’s design focused on delivering ‘superior building performance’ through energy and sustainability features including stormwater management, efficiency in heating, air ventilation and lighting systems, and a target of 25 per cent savings over the industry standard.

Construction continues on the third and fourth floors of the building, scheduled to be completed by January 2018.