Looking to be a major hub for regional business acceleration, the Convergence Centre located in The University of Western Ontario’s London Research Park, officially opened its doors Wednesday.
The 65,000 square-foot, $19.5-million building is anchored by Lanxess, whose global research and development business unit for butyl rubber recently relocated from Sarnia. Other tenants include TechAlliance and Voices.com – named one of Canada’s Top 20 fastest growing emerging companies – with additional space for up to 25 early stage companies at the centre.
Western Vice-President (Research and International Relations) Ted Hewitt speaks at the opening of the new Convergence Centre. In the background is Research Park Director Joel Adams.
The new centre, one of the first multi-tenant ‘green building’ in southwestern Ontario has the ability to provide regional industry with improved access to nearby research facilities and expertise at Western.
“Why do we call it the Convergence Centre?” says Ted Hewitt, Vice-President (Research & International Relations). “It’s going to be one of the primary places not only in London, but in southwestern Ontario, for folks to come together from government, from academia and from industry to build the economy of southwestern Ontario that we want.”
From material science and manufacturing and digital media to biotechnology and healthcare, the centre looks to be the place for fast growing start-ups, business acceleration and university collaboration among a variety of companies and researchers.
Some of the building’s features include:
*LEED Gold – second building at Western targeting the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standard of the Canada Green Building Council. The other is the Claudette-MacKay Lassonde Pavillion.
• Trademark style – combines traditional ‘Collegiate Gothic’ style architecture of the university, with flexible high-tech/industrial metal and glass construction.
• Sustainable site – bicycle racks and shower/change room, designated spots for car pooling, naturalized storm water management to control run-off, durable ‘white roof’ to reduce cooling loads.
• Water efficiency – ultra-low water consumption with dual flush, photovoltaic, and waterless systems, native species landscaping to eliminate irrigation requirements (including trees of the Carolinian region of Canada).
• Energy and atmosphere – significantly exceeds national energy efficiency standards, using energy modeling, building sensors and controls, natural lighting and heat recovery systems.
• Material and resources – nearly 50 per cent of building materials regionally sourced with nearly one-third from recycled materials, and a majority of construction waste was diverted from the landfill (reused or recycled).
• Indoor environmental quality – Carbon dioxide monitoring, operable windows, low-emitting furniture, paints, glues and other materials, ‘green guard’ certified furniture.