Concrete foundations being poured for the header house of the new greenhouse.
Construction is moving along nicely at the new Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC) greenhouse facility being built at the Daniel J. Patterson campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The official groundbreaking took place in June. Underground work related to sewer, watermain, data lines and gas service have now been completed and most recently, the concrete foundations for the header house have been poured.
HESIC aims to meet growing demands for applied research services from industry and together, with the existing Teaching Greenhouse, will provide an expanded learning environment and new opportunities for students in NC’s School of Environment and Horticulture.
Once built, the 1,258-square-metre greenhouse will include a horticulture laboratory to meet research needs for HESIC’s industry partners, as well as a new vertical grow room to allow expansion into this area of research and to expose students to vertical controlled environment agriculture.
Five individual bays will enable HESIC researchers to control temperature, humidity, and lighting in separate environments, allowing for applied research projects in a variety of configurations, as well as integrated pest management and growth trials.
This new greenhouse, slated for completion sometime next year, will open doors for HESIC to help more businesses that are requesting assistance. Currently, HESIC utilizes space within the NC Teaching Greenhouse, which is primarily used for academic purposes within the College’s School of Environment and Horticulture.
