Description of Facilities

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The Banff International Research Station is physically located on the campus of Banff Centre. BIRS uses the TransCanada Pipelines Pavilion for all the conference meetings, and PDC/Lloyd Hall (managed by Banff Centre) for participant accommodation. TransCanada Pipelines Pavilion is wheelchair accessible.

Accommodation

Participants of BIRS programs are housed in Professional Development Centre and/or the Lloyd Hall. Both hotels are managed by Banff Centre. Each room has a queen or a king sized bed and a private bathroom. All rooms are each equipped with a desk, tv, a coffee-maker, and an iron and ironing board. Additional amenities are available upon request. For more detailed information on the type of accommodation, please visit Banff Centre "Stay and Dine" webpage.

Laundry Facilities

There is a coin-operated washer and dryer located in the basement level of Lloyd hall. Should you require laundry detergent, it is available for purchase in the laundry room as well. For directions, please contact the Front Desk.

The TransCanada Pipelines Pavilion

The TransCanada Pipelines Pavilion (TCPL) is reserved exclusively for the use of BIRS programs.

TCPL Room 201 - Main Lecture Room:

tcpl201

Most workshop lectures are held in this auditorium. The room has:

  • an LCD projector (turn on/off via touch panel)
  • a motorized projection screen
  • a Macbook Pro laptop computer
  • laser pointer with slide remote control
  • battery charger with extra batteries for the remote control
  • USB stick for transferring files between computers
  • a digital document camera
  • 15' of chalkboard space
  • wireless Internet access
  • fully automated lecture recording and live streaming

Capacity:  50

TCPL Room 202 - Small Lecture Room:

tcpl202

This room can be used for break-out sessions during full-sized BIRS workshops, or to host half-workshops or other smaller meetings. The room has:

  • an LCD projector with remote control
  • late model Macbook laptop computer
  • a motorized projection screen
  • 28' of chalkboard space (front and side walls)
  • wireless Internet access

Capacity:  12 - 40, depending on furniture arrangement

TCPL Room 101 - Small meeting room:

  • Two 6' whiteboards
  • 1 combination cork/chalk/whiteboard
  • wireless Internet access
  • piano

Capacity:  8

TCPL Room 102 - Small meeting room:

  • 8' chalkboard
  • One 6' whiteboard
  • wireless Internet access

Capacity:  4

TCPL Room 105 - Work room:

  • One 6' whiteboard
  • Xerox AltaLink B8045 multifunction photocopier: provides scanning (with e-mail), printing, and photocopying services.
  • 6' table with late model iMac configured to print to the Xerox
  • 6' table with stapler, staple remover, and paper cutter
  • wireless Internet access

Capacity:  4

TCPL Room 106 - Small meeting room:

  • Two 6' whiteboards
  • 1 combination cork/chalk/whiteboard
  • wireless Internet access

Capacity:  6

TCPL Room 107 - Small Research Teams room:

tcpl107
  • 14' chalkboard
  • 10' chalkboard
  • projection screen
  • portable LCD projector (upon request)
  • wired Internet access
  • wireless Internet access

Capacity:  8

General Facilities

Computer Networks:

There is open (no password) wireless access available in all areas of BIRS and Banff Centre.

BIRS shares a 5mbit connection to the public Internet, and has full access to the 1Gbit research network for connectivity to academic institutions. Configuration for network access is done automatically via DHCP. The guest network is also accessible via wireless networking (802.11b/g) in all areas of BIRS.

Library:

BIRS has a very small, but growing, library. There is one open computer (iMac) available in the Room 105 in TCPL. Participants who have online services at their home institutions are encouraged to establish proxy accounts which will allow them journal access from BIRS.

The Banff Centre has a very nice arts/music library which has a good collection of sheet music as well as recorded music and video material. BIRS participants are welcome to use this library, which is located in the Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation.

Banff Centre:

Banff Centre is a centre for fine arts programs, leadership development, mountain culture, and, since 2003, BIRS.  It is situated in the Town of Banff part way up Tunnel Mountain on a peaceful and secluded site.

It has an athletic complex with swimming pool, running track, workout room, climbing wall etc., all of which are available complementarily to BIRS participants.  For more on the Banff Centre and its current artistic program, please refer to the Banff Centre webpage http://www.banffcentre.ca.

During your stay at BIRS, you can be contacted by telephone through The Banff Centre switchboard, which is open 24 hours, at +1-403-762-6100.