There is a new face on Main Street in Hamilton, Ont. — and this one represents a sustainable, high-tech future.

The five-storey, 125,000-sq.-ft., glass-covered Engineering Technology Building was officially opened in October at McMaster University. The $48-million edifice will house more than 2,000 students, professors, researchers and staff. It features state-of-the art learning and research facilities, sustainability systems, and novel architectural design.

“This new building is going to represent the face of McMaster for the 21st century,” said Peter George, president and vice-chancellor of McMaster University. “It is a showcase of the very best McMaster has to offer in terms of the exciting programs it represents and because of the partnerships and collaborations that made it possible.”

The building is the new home to the McMaster-Mohawk Bachelor of Technology Partnership, the first-year Engineering program, the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice, a new Biointerfaces Institute, and the Centre for Research in Micro- and Nano-Systems.

The building has been designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. This is reflective of the faculty’s five-year strategic plan, which focuses on increased research in sustainability and the development of the “global engineer.”

The building has also been designed to enhance the teaching and learning process. This is achieved through the inclusion of separate teaching studios, tutorial rooms and study space that encourages collaboration and the open exchange of ideas and information. Classrooms also feature state-of-the-art technology, including digital projection and wireless Internet.