Loyola Residence Tower

{{Short description|Building on the campus of St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia}}

Image:2020 Loyola Residence Tower in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (1).jpg

The Loyola Residence Tower (also known as the Ignatius Loyola Residence) in Halifax, Canada is a residence of Saint Mary's University completed in 1971. It is located on the main campus with a height of 67 metres accommodating up to 434 students on 22 floors.

It is notable as the home of the Burke-Gaffney Observatory, part of the university's Department of Astronomy and Physics.[http://www.ap.smu.ca/bgo Burke-Gaffney Observatory] This is a fully-roboticized observatory with a 0.6 m telescope and a low resolution spectrograph for remote access use.{{cite arxiv | title=The Burke-Gaffney Observatory: A fully roboticized remote-access observatory with a low resolution spectrograph | display-authors=1 | last1=Short | first1=C. Ian | last2=Lane | first2=David J. | last3=Fields | first3=Tiffany | date=July 2023 | arxiv=2307.07022 }} The building also houses the St. Mary's University Art Gallery, which is situated on the ground floor.[https://www.smu.ca/administration/externalaffairs/artgallery/welcome.html St. Mary's University Art Gallery]

In early 2023, the south-facing concrete façade of the tower was replaced with solar panels in order to reduce the university's carbon footprint. Retrofitted at a cost of C$8.5 million, the installation is expected to generate around 100,000 kWh yearly, and makes the Loyola Residence the tallest solar-integrated building in North America.{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Jesse |title=Saint Mary's Loyola residence stands to be tallest solar-integrated tower in North America |url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/saint-mary-s-loyola-residence-stands-to-be-tallest-solar-integrated-tower-in-north-america-1.6286805 |publisher=CTV News |date=23 February 2023}}