"We are in the midst of one of the most remarkable revolutions in the history of mankind. The revolution was sparked by scientific curiosity about life, but its consequences will be so far-reaching as to touch every aspect of society. It is an information revolution, unlocking databases of human heredity and evolutionary history. It is a medical revolution, holding the prospect that our children's children will never die of cancer. And it is an intellectual revolution that may reshape –for better or for worse –our notions of human potential."  (Eric Lander) 

I have chosen to design the McGill Genomics and Proteomics Center where McGill University and the Montreal Human Genome Project will conduct the ambitious exploration of the genetic blueprint of the human being. It will be part of the new "Tech Square," located on the northeast side of the downtown campus encompassing the Rutherford Physics Building, the Wong Building for Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, and the new Lorne M. Trottier Building for information technology. It will involve many disciplines including genomics, structural biology, genetic epidemology, physiology, ethics, computer science, bio-instrumentation, proteomics and other related fields. It must be flexible enough to accommodate different crews of specialist at different times and integrate with McGill’s academic fabric.

The charting of the human Genome is becoming a mechanized and repetitive process due to the minimal size of molecular science and digitization of the analysis process. The human element in the process is being removed.  The danger is that scientists will lose sight of the larger picture at a time when pressing ethical issues must be addressed.  My project attempts to humanize a very technical and strict program through the plans, sections and program.  Human activity will be injected to the program to animate the space and remind scientists that they are part of something greater than themselves.