University of British Columbia Starts Construction on Gateway Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/05/23

The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, recently began construction on a new Gateway Building for the campus, according to local news. The $180-million mass timber building will stand six stories and cover about 267,000 square feet, and it will serve as the main point of entry to the campus as well as an academic building for a variety of subjects. Completion is scheduled for 2024, local news reports.

The university is partnering with architecture firm Perkins&Will for the building’s design. The firm’s website describes a central, daylit, six-story atrium featuring an interconnecting staircase and a variety of lounge spaces, as well as two five-story wings. The project’s sustainability goals include a minimum of LEED Gold and CAGBC Zero Carbon Building design certifications. The university also sought input from the indigenous Musqueam people, who own the land that the campus was built on.

“This was the first capital project where we did what we call ‘deep engagement’ with the Musqueam,” said Gerry McGeough, the university’s director of planning and design. “We went through a whole series of exploratory discussions with them where they defined what their values are they’d like to have embraced in this project.” The indigenous influence is most clearly seen in the building’s mass-timber interior.

Once complete, the new building will include research, teaching, and office space for the UBC Schools of Nursing and Kinesiology, the Faculty of Arts Language Sciences, UBC Health, and Integrated Health Services, according to the university website.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Active Learning Classroom

    Striking a Balance: The Keys to Renovating Science Education Buildings for the 21st Century

    The recent renovation of the Durham Science Center at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) provides a roadmap for facilities managers tasked with balancing budget constraints, modern pedagogical demands, and long-term sustainability.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • University of Connecticut Upgrades Basketball Facility’s AV Systems

    The University of Connecticut recently partnered with Metinteractive to upgrade the AV systems of the Gampel Pavilion basketball facility on its campus in Mansfield, Conn., according to a news release.

  • Kimball International Debuts Health & Education Experience Center

    Kimball International recently opened a new facility at its corporate headquarters in Jasper, Ind., that will act as a hands-on showroom for a variety of its furniture products and solutions, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot Health & Education Experience Center was originally designed by Gensler as the headquarters for Kimball International’s National brand.

Digital Edition