Spring 2010 - Saint Mary's University

Spotlight: Going Green
Spotlight: Going Green
By Suzanne Robicheau
Sunlight spills through the glazed roof. A glass-tiled elevator rises three
stories, cradled in the curving tendril of a sweeping, sculptural steel staircase.
The overwhelming colour palette is a restrained mix of sea green and gray
balanced by natural foliage and light maple millwork.
Like its signature three-storey living wall, Saint Mary’s new Atrium/Global
Learning Commons is a breath of fresh air. Humbly conceived as a gateway
between existing buildings, the structure has taken on a life of its own,
transforming a little used exterior space into a thriving interior hub that
links the newly renovated science building, the Patrick Power Library and
the Burke buildings.
The job of a hub is to make connections and the Atrium has that covered.
The most noticeable connections are those between buildings — especially
on a blustery winter day when there’s a north wind gusting across the harbour.
Other connections are less conspicuous: connections between students,
between students and staff, between different faculties, and between
atrium Walks the Green Talk
researchers at Saint Mary’s and their partners in economic development —
all of this supported by state-of-the-art connections in wireless networking.
8 MAROON & WHITE I SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY MAROON & WHITE I SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY 9