his project mandate consisted of the creation of Cape Breton’s first Technology Incubation Facility on the University College of Cape Breton Campus' site. The facility was designed to foster innovative entrepreneurs in the technology sector and to closely integrate them with the University’s support infrastructure. The building fronts Highway No. 4, which links Sydney to Glace Bay, as well as to industrial Cape Breton’s only airport.

The architectural layout permits a wide variety of leasing formats, and incorporates inherent flexibility for the accommodation of future marketing shifts and tenant-layout modifications. The building is comprised of central administration/support facilities, leased office space, soft industrial lease space, and leased industrial bays. The structure is connected to the University’s A Block, via an enclosed passageway/link.

The facility incorporates a central reception foyer, shared conference room, lunchroom, and computer room. The soft industrial lease spaces feature separate exterior entrances, fronting on the lane facing the Highway. The industrial bays incorporate a mezzanine loft and overhead loading doors, which open onto a service courtyard.

The architectural form of the building consists of three separate and distinct segments -- a rectangular, single-storey office block; an angular, fragmented, soft-industrial block; and a sloped-roof, metal-clad, industrial-bay block. The architectural separation of the building forms serve to create unique identities for the individual parts, and encourage specific recognition of each, separate, tenant entity within. In addition, the fragmentation of the building form juxtaposes the new structure to the existing University buildings which currently face Highway No. 4., thereby creating a unique and independent presentation for the Technology Enterprise Centre.

In contrast, the architectural materials of the facades serve to blend and link this new addition to existing Campus structures. Red and grey concrete masonry units are utilized in a similar fashion to the recent Campus-Centre Expansion. Although it is not as high-tech in expression or character, the utilization of masonry provides continuity with the existing architectural language of the Campus.

The project budget for construction works is in the vicinity of $1,720,000, with project completion scheduled for Summer, 1998.