Diamond Schmitt Architects has designed a new campus expansion plan for McGill University in unison with LemayMichaud that will help advance the study of earth systems and environmental health while restoring several historic buildings and the university’s connection to Mount Royal Park.

One of Canada’s premiere research institutions is about to undergo a transformation of “generational importance,” according to the firms. Their New Vic plan calls for the reuse of three extant Scottish baronial structures at the Royal Victoria Hospital complex and construction of a new 350,000-square-foot facility for teaching and research. 

A forecourt to Frederick Law Olmsted's 1893 park design will also be re-established through the design. Costs for the project are stated at $870 million CAD ($640 million USD).

“We are inspired with urgency to design a center devoted to the most critical issue of our time: healing the planet,” Donald Schmitt, Principal at the new joint-venture called Diamond Schmitt/Lemay Michaud, said.

“At the most local level, our design begins with the aim of healing the site, by restoring openness, access, light and harmony with the surroundings. Our approach is driven by a commitment to sustainable design, striving for the highest standards of environmental responsibility and innovation consistent with the ambition of the New Vic’s academic program,” Schmitt added.

The new research facility integrates seamlessly into the topography of the site. Inside, the program breaks down into three key areas for investigation of molecular-materials systems, earth systems, and urban systems and their intersections. Students and faculty can enjoy a newly-unobstructed view of the campus thanks to the stepped nature of the design. 

Former slab buildings at the site will have to be demolished, though the brief calls for the repurposing of a “significant portion” of their limestone materials. 

“The New Vic is a major step in redefining the role of the global university, centering a commitment to sustainability and a new, flexible and dynamic approach to tackling the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century; Diamond Schmitt/Lemay Michaud’s design outlines a new model for rehabilitating and repurposing heritage spaces that unites industry-leading sustainable design with a thoughtful approach to public space and user-centered flexibility,” Pierre Major, the Executive Director of the New Vic Project, said in a preview. “Diamond Schmitt/Lemay Michaud’s deep experience working collaboratively on innovative, transformative projects made them the ideal partners for McGill on the New Vic.”

The architects say the new building is designed to employ low-carbon systems with a high-performance wall envelope and a geothermal array that provides up to 50 percent of the heating load. LEED Gold and WELL Gold environmental standards are an overall goal for the project, and all 66 new laboratory spaces will be complemented by ‘discovery hubs’ that are meant to foster collaboration between researchers in various disciplines. 

McGill and Diamond Schmitt/Lemay Michaud say they will work closely with Indigenous groups to add spaces for reconciliation, celebration, and learning to the project.

Initial construction began two years ago and is advancing towards a 2027 completion.