NAIT’s Centre for Applied Technologies (CAT) building had its ground broken on Aug. 29, 2013 in a ceremony attended by former Alberta Premier Alison Redford, NAIT President and CEO Glenn Feltham and Deputy Premier and Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Thomas Lukaszuk. The 52,000-square-metre building will address Alberta’s labour demands and aid in the growth of our ever expanding province. The Centre for Applied Technolo- gies will house 5,000 students daily and will boost enrollment in the areas of health, business, engineering technologies and sustainable building and environmental man- agement programs. The Centre for Applied Technologies is set to open in the fall of 2016 and Lou Zoldan, CAT building project director and NAIT Engineering Technology graduate, said without hesitation that construction is completely on schedule.
With most students having been gone over the spring and summer months, there are impressive changes to see. The biggest accomplishment over these past four months are the two erected pedways which connect to the already standing HP Centre and also the M Parkade. These south and east pedways are important to the build- ing’s ergonomic structure. Along with the fully completed ped- ways, as of Aug. 30 the building enclosure is also complete. “All of the major elements of the roofing, glazing, stone panels and mason re-block are finished,” said Zoldan. Put simply, the framework and entirety of the building is up and now the details are left.
With so much work done on this innovative establishment and all on schedule, the future is positive for this amazing structure. It’s no secret that the building will give students access to an astounding quality of education. NAIT is proceeding with a simulation lab that is equal to those which are currently being developed and operated around the world, Zoldan said. Work on the interior finishes started this summer and is underway. “There will be tiling of the washrooms, painting of the classrooms and corridors and installation of the millwork and casework in teaching labs,” Zoldan said.
“Coming back to NAIT and working on the Centre for Applied Technologies gives me such a feeling of pride,” he said. The construction of this building has been produced with passionate and prideful trades people, crucial planning and dedication to the future of this vital organ which is now a part of NAIT.
Taylor Braat
Editor In Chief
