M4 update: Fall 2026

In a speech in 1943, Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.”

He delivered the famous line as part of a debate about how to rebuild the House of Commons Chamber after it had been destroyed in the Blitz. His point was that architectural details are not neutral—they have a real influence on the people who will one day inhabit these spaces and the kind of work they do.

M4 was designed with this insight in mind. We view it as a space that will shape and empower our brilliant students and researchers—a building that allows our community to connect and work together more seamlessly as we build the technology of the future.

This update highlights the community of M4, including the researchers, like Meng Xu, who will work inside the building’s cutting-edge labs, the students, like Maitreyee, who will benefit from the building's event spaces and lounges, and the many champions whose support is bringing M4 to life. 

But first, here is a look at our current construction progress:

As AI agents gain autonomy to perform tasks on our behalf, new security vulnerabilities are being exposed. In a recent story, Cheriton School of Computer Science professors Meng Xu (a core faculty member of the Cryptography, Security, and Privacy group) and Sihang Liu shared how their National Cybersecurity Consortium-backed research is identifying and addressing security risks in autonomous AI tools before they become widespread threats.

When completed, the new M4 building will serve as the home of the Cryptography, Security, and Privacy (CrySP) Lab, providing state-of-the-art facilities and technology for protecting our data and privacy from new digital threats.

Maitreyee G. was a problem-solver long before she got to Waterloo.

As a child growing up in India, she helped her mom solve sudoku puzzles and built paper boats with her dad, which they would test in puddles when it rained. In high school, she revamped her school’s sign-in process, creating an app that made the process simpler, more efficient and more secure. It’s still used today. 

Now, she is enrolled in the computer science program at Waterloo, where she is taking full advantage of her opportunities and further developing her elite problem-solving skills.

As an executive on the undergraduate committee of Women in Computer Science, she helps organize events that build community and support students’ professional growth. She is also involved with Tech+ and volunteers with UWaterloo Blueprint, where students develop software solutions for charities serving at-risk and minority communities.

Given her active student experience, Maitreyee is particularly excited about M4, especially as a venue for the many student events she helps organize.

“I’m really looking forward to M4 coming to life,” she says. “As someone involved in a lot of clubs, I know we would definitely appreciate better event space and new classrooms.”

One of the spaces that Maitreyee and other students will benefit from the most is the Gradient Gallery. This is a two-level, open-concept event venue with stadium seating, a second-floor gallery and a skyfold door that opens onto a courtyard for indoor-outdoor events.

The stunning space will be perfect for a range of activities: from hackathons and capstone showcases to alumni AMAs and public lectures. When no event is booked, it becomes an open lounge space for students, staff and faculty.

For many future Math students, it will be the first space they see at Waterloo, perhaps as the venue for a CEMC school visit or first-year orientation activity. And it will be one they return to throughout their time as students and, later, as returning alumni. We expect it will hold a special place in the hearts of future Mathies.

But the Gallery is just one of many student-focused spaces. There are also four breakout rooms on the main floor of M4, ideal for when a larger event splits up into smaller groups. And there are eight student lounges throughout the building, providing students with much-needed space to meet, study and recharge between activities.

Reflecting on the many benefits M4 will bring to students, Maitreyee encourages alumni to support the project.

“I hope donors think back to their time at Waterloo and how meaningful it was—and then choose to pay it forward to the next generation,” she says.

To envision what the Gradient Gallery will look like, check out these 360 degree views.

Our newly created case for support is the most comprehensive account of M4 yet. Learn more about what the building contains and how it will advance education and research in the Faculty. 

Our community is banding together to support M4. Discover what donors, alumni, students and faculty are saying about why M4 matters to them.  

Do you want to add your voice to the chorus of support? Make a gift to M4 today!