The design of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre at the University of Waterloo creates a sophisticated platform for the Institute for Quantum Computing and the new Nanotechnology program. The green roofs of the podium act as an extension of the landscape and reinforce the network of green spaces that distinguish the Waterloo campus. The IQC façade explores the abstract notion of ‘superposition’ with varied readings generated through degrees of transparency and the play of light on its surfaces. The structural “honeycomb” allows column-free, flexible office space and minimizes structural columns in the cleanroom below.

Jury Comments

The project was extremely well-executed. Two distinct programs are articulated differently, then combined through public gathering spaces that use light and a beautiful stair to make people linger. Connections between levels and wings become places for the exchange of ideas – an aspiration common to many contemporary buildings but one the jury felt was achieved here through thoughtful design.

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Publish Date : 2021/Sep/02