Five-storey, 120,000-square-foot building will connect mathematical disciplines and advance green computing
Donors, alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered on October 28 to celebrate the official groundbreaking for Mathematics 4 (M4), the new Faculty of Mathematics building that begins construction this fall.
The five-storey, 120,000 square foot building will serve as the heart of the mathematics district on campus, and include increased classroom space, labs and a cutting-edge eco-friendly server room, called the Green Room.
“As the University of Waterloo works to lead Canada in technological, social and environmental innovation, the Faculty of Mathematics will be an essential part of that work,” says Dr. Mark Giesbrecht, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics. “Mathematics 4 will advance green computing and the data revolution while empowering researchers and students in mathematics, computer science, data science and statistics.”
Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo, connected M4 to the University’s larger Waterloo at 100 vision. “The facility will help Waterloo harness its expertise in technology to revolutionize health care, address the climate crisis, create a more equitable society, protect our data and privacy and drive economic prosperity,” he said. “M4 will bring together researchers from across the University and encourage new collaborations and synergies at the intersection of disciplines.”
The crowd looked on as Goel, Giesbrecht, Dr. Mina Arashloo, assistant professor in the Cheriton School of Computer Science and Catherine Dong, a Math undergraduate student and member of Senate, scooped shovelfuls of dirt while wearing hard hats in the Faculty’s signature hot pink.
After the groundbreaking, donors, students, faculty members, staff and members of the architect and construction teams gathered for a reception. They heard about the impact of the building and discussed opportunities for future contributions.
“We make space for students not just to grow as students, but as people,” Dong said. “Every building, classroom and hallway is here because somebody knew what it could be one day, and they fought tooth and nail to make it happen. ... They helped to build a place where magic can happen.”
Construction on Mathematics 4 is expected to take two to three years. The completed building will connect the W. G. Davis Computer Research Centre (DC), Mathematics and Computing (MC) and Mathematics 3 (M3) buildings, and will prioritize Indigenous design principles, sustainability and wellness. It was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and is being built by Gillam Group.
Learn more about Mathematics 4 on the project website.
Pictured above (l-r), Catherine Dong, Dr. Mina Arashloo, Dr. Vivek Goel and Dr. Mark Giesbrecht participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Faculty of Mathematics building, Mathematics 4. Photo credit: Joe Petrik.
