Queen’s is undertaking a significant redevelopment of Duncan McArthur Hall, located on its West Campus.

The redevelopment and expansion of Duncan McArthur Hall’s ‘A’ wing, will see a substantial addition to the building, and provide increased classroom, research, study, administration, and social spaces for both the Faculty of Education and elements of the Faculty of Heath Sciences.

The project will target Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, and incorporate sustainable technologies to minimize greenhouse gases in support of the sustainability goals set out in the Queen’s Climate Action Plan. This will include a geothermal energy system to provide heat and cooling to the new building.

“This project will enable Queen’s to address the expansion needs of the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, while improving the student experience at Duncan McArthur Hall and continuing to make progress on our sustainability targets,” says Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “I’m also excited about the opportunity for collaboration as we bring elements of Queen’s Health Sciences to West Campus.”

The project will expand the ground floor of the “A” wing of Duncan McArthur Hall, creating four 50-person classrooms, plus two additional 100-person classrooms. This utilizes the undeveloped area under the current building overhang. Additional classroom renovations (A243 and 343) and the existing main entrance – known as student street – will also take place.

The proposed seven story addition at the southeast corner of the existing building will accommodate classrooms, break-out and study facilities on the first and second floors. The upper floors will provide administrative offices for both faculties.

“This redevelopment project will create space to accommodate our growing faculty, optimize offices to reflect new practices in workflow processes, support students with collaborative learning spaces, and develop 21st century teaching spaces that reflect the design of contemporary schools,” says Rebecca Luce-Kapler, Dean of the Faculty of Education. “Providing new modern spaces, study space for graduate students, and sufficient research spaces for the faculty’s research groups will enrich the university’s reputation and appeal to students and the community.”

“Queen’s Health Sciences is thrilled to be a partner on this project,” says Jane Philpott, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “As we drive forward with our new strategic vision for radical collaboration, this redevelopment will create much needed space for the activities that are critical to our operations.”

The construction of the proposed seven story building is the first phase of the project, and is targeted to start in the summer of 2022 with the tower targeted for occupancy late in 2023. Renovations and expansion of the existing ‘A’ wing would then occur through to 2024.

The Faculty of Education began work on the project in 2019 with the completion of a feasibility study conducted to determine the best way to incorporate new office, study, and teaching space in Duncan McArthur Hall.  Queen’s Health Sciences joined the project in 2020 to accommodate their growing need for administrative space.

Duncan McArthur Hall is located on the West Campus of Queen’s University. The campus was purchased by Queen's in 1969.

Duncan McArthur Hall was built between 1969 and 1971 with funding from the Ontario government. It houses the Queen’s Faculty of Education, the Queen’s School of English, Continuing Teacher Education, and the Education Library.

For more information on the Duncan McArthur Hall project, visit the project website.