Ontario Construction News staff writer
A $1.5-million gift from Candu Energy will fund the renovation of a former manufacturing hub into the Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio at McMaster University in Hamilton, enhancing opportunities for first-year engineering students. The studio, combined with associated renovated spaces, will be the most significant update to the John Hodgins Engineering building in several years.
The proposed Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio will be a 5,000 square foot hub where first-year students can collaborate, create and flex their ingenuity to tackle real-world problems through meaningful engineering solutions.
“We are proud to support the development of a space where the best and the brightest in our industry can learn and thrive,” says Gary Rose, President & CEO of Candu Energy. “Ontario faces a pressing talent shortage across engineering, project management, and skilled trades. This poses a risk to the vast expansion of the province’s clean power grid so critical to servicing the growing demand for power.
“Our gift not only reflects our commitment to fostering the next generation of engineering talent, but also our desire to see STEM students studying and working in Ontario in such critically important sectors like energy and infrastructure to sustain Ontario’s competitiveness.”
The site will feature equipment such as laser cutters and 3D printers, a prototyping area and designated areas for group collaboration. A teaching area with large LED screens and floor-to-ceiling windows will provide a bright, open learning environment. A second-floor mezzanine will offer flexible space for students, aligning with the renovation’s goal of establishing a collaborative “collision space” for interdisciplinary teamwork.
The studio will host 1P13 – Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects in Engineering. This course introduces students to engineering concepts, develops their skills and applies those skills to three real-world group projects.
Construction of the Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects Studio is scheduled to begin in early 2025 and slated to open in the fall 2026 semester.
