Université de Sherbrooke Health Campus

Two buildings, one shared vision to advance the Université de Sherbrooke’s Health Campus. With the Precision Health and Translational Research Pavilion (PSPRT) and the Knowledge Hub, new spaces are taking shape on campus to support teaching, research, and collaboration. The PSPRT notably houses specialized laboratories and clinical simulation spaces, while connecting to existing pavilions via two walkways.

The challenge

From specialized research facilities to the rounded forms and non-standard angles of the Knowledge Hub, complexity was found as much behind the walls as in the visible architecture. At the PSPRT, the new pavilion’s mechanical systems had to be connected to those of existing buildings without compromising occupant comfort. Its five-story glass atrium also presented significant challenges regarding high-altitude work and material handling. At the Knowledge Hub, the unique geometry of the spaces required adapting mechanical coordination to the angled ceilings.

Our approach

To make so many components function as a single unit, coordination was paramount. 3D modeling and Last Planner meetings allowed for the anticipation of system integration and the planning of their phased commissioning. For the atrium, a temporary platform, a crane brought inside the building, and precision lifting equipment were used to install the massive glass elements. The same logic guided the Knowledge Hub: adapting execution to an architecture that broke away from conventional straight lines.

The Knowledge Hub stands out for an interior architecture where curves and non-standard angles replace more conventional straight lines. This geometry gives the library a strong identity, extending even to its ceilings, where mechanical systems had to be coordinated to follow the unique layout.

Breaking away from straight lines

25 wells beneath the pavilion

The PSPRT incorporates 25 geothermal wells into its design. Combined with various energy-efficiency strategies, they contribute to the building’s carbon-neutrality goal and the reduction of its environmental footprint.

A new mechanical heart

The PSPRT has effectively become the mechanical heart of the campus. Its facilities centralize energy recovery systems and are connected to neighboring pavilions via walkways, which required a phased commissioning process to maintain user comfort in the existing buildings.

A crane inside

To construct the PSPRT’s five-story glass atrium, a mobile crane was brought directly inside the building under construction. It was used to install the massive staircases and other heavy elements, while precision lifting equipment was used for the glass components and railings.

25 wells beneath the pavilion

The PSPRT incorporates 25 geothermal wells into its design. Combined with various energy-efficiency strategies, they contribute to the building’s carbon-neutrality goal and the reduction of its environmental footprint.

A new mechanical heart

The PSPRT has effectively become the mechanical heart of the campus. Its facilities centralize energy recovery systems and are connected to neighboring pavilions via walkways, which required a phased commissioning process to maintain user comfort in the existing buildings.

A crane inside

To construct the PSPRT’s five-story glass atrium, a mobile crane was brought directly inside the building under construction. It was used to install the massive staircases and other heavy elements, while precision lifting equipment was used for the glass components and railings.

Results

Our work on these two buildings brought to life spaces where architecture, mechanics, and specialized uses had to function as a whole. Today, the PSPRT is connected to the other campus pavilions and incorporates 25 geothermal wells into a design aimed at carbon neutrality. Together with the Knowledge Hub, the project helps create new environments designed to support the evolution of teaching, research, and health at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Other projects

Université de Sherbrooke Health Campus

Structures essentielles