McGill University's Interdisciplinary Idea Lab
Who we areSupporting unconventional research of all disciplines
Our scholarsPursue beautiful and rigorous scholarship with us
How to get involved$700 000
Grant funding provided to scholars
180
Undergraduate and graduate students who pursued a project at B21
43
Different disciplines at Building 21
849
Events held gathering scholars all over McGill and beyond
Since 2017, hundreds of scholars all over McGill have come to Building 21 in pursuit of ideas they can't explore elsewhere.
180+
Scholars pursuing interdisciplinary projects
$600, 000+
Funnelled to fellowships and programs
40+
Different disciplines hosted at B21
900+
Workshops, community gatherings & speaker events
What we do
Leading scholars across disciplines to bring unconventional ideas to life.
Building 21's BLUE Program
The Beautiful, Limitless, Unconstrained Exploration™ (BLUE) approach, created at Building 21 over eight years, drives our cohort-based residencies. BLUE brings together curious individuals, offering structure, mentorship, and valuable connections.
Interdisciplinary at the core
Building 21 focuses on the process of exploration, not just results. We seek the accelerator effect of merging diverse disciplines — what new paths can we discover when philosophy tackles physics, when healthcare and music intersect, or when chemistry challenges our understanding of free will?
No credits, no grades
Our programs are driven by the pursuit of discovery. With no credits or grades, we ask bold, original questions. We seek uncharted territories of ideas, concepts, and designs. We train our scholars to think beyond the acknowledged, the recognized and the comfortable.
Our alumni are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and creativity at these institutions
What's On
Come experience Building 21 yourself at 651 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal.
Google MapsPrograms
Our cohort-based research programs offered each semester to McGill students.
Learn moreScholars
We’ve supported hundreds of McGill undergraduate, Master's, and PhD students across all disciplines in their exploration.
See all scholarsInnovation in paradigms
Mathilde Papillon first bridged physics and dance as an undergraduate at B21. This led to Mathilde pioneering a new subfield of Topological Deep Learning as a PhD candidate at the Geometric Intelligence Lab @ UCSB.
Read moreEnabling new paths
Rasha Lama piloted a series of spatial sustainability projects at B21, completely unrelated to her business degree. This contributed to Rasha receiving a graduate scholarship in Land Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
Read moreFrom idea to impact
Kat Kavanagh developed the ideas for a citizen science non-profit at B21 that now monitors over 5,000 waterbodies across Canada and has trained over 25,000 Canadians on how to conduct water quality tests.
Read moreSpecial Guests
We invite a diverse range of people at the forefront to engage with our community.
Discover our faculty and special guests"
"B21 is rigorous and free, radical and welcoming, at once wildly exploratory and close to home."
Isabella Chiaravallotti
PhD Plant Science, McGill University
Join us
We’re always looking for brilliant scholars and organizations to advance our mission.