UBCO Looks to Expand Study Space Amid Rapid Student Growth

After experiencing ten years of rapid growth, UBC Okanagan has updated their campus plan to facilitate an increased capacity for academic space and to promote a more sustainable future.

“This plan identifies how we can address our future academic and research needs, student housing and associated campus services for the next two decades,” said Deborah Buszard, UBC Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Okanagan campus. “We’re grateful to the hundreds of people who helped shape this plan by providing input through public meetings, workshops, and a variety other stakeholder consultations.”

The Okanagan Campus has grown dramatically during its first decade, more than doubling student enrollment and tripling floor space, added Buszard.

Key elements of the updated plan include:

• increased capacity for academic space to meet the existing and future needs for teaching, study and collaboration;
• a research and innovation precinct for industry partners to co-locate with the university;
• increased capacity to meet the needs of UBC Okanagan’s growing number of research programs;
• a commitment to First Nation engagement in the planning of buildings and landscapes that celebrate the relationship between UBC and the Okanagan Nation;
• more recreational amenities, and a pedestrian- and cycling-friendly “main street” concept with improved safety and expanded capacity for street-oriented amenities;
• an arrival plaza and enhanced public transit exchange;
• road network improvements to reflect future connections within campus and in the surrounding neighbourhoods;
• capacity to expand on-campus student housing including a new residential neighbourhood around Nonis Field at the south end of campus;
• a whole-systems approach to sustainable infrastructure.

“The campus plan is not a prescription for growth, but offers a vision for the future of the campus and how its physical environment will evolve,” said Buszard. “The plan will guide future development and positions UBC to meet – and create -- new opportunities for the BC Interior.”

The updated plan was developed via a public consultation that occurred between October 2013 and March 2015, and included opportunities for input for the campus community, as well as the surrounding community through workshops, individual stakeholder consultation, and aboriginal outreach.

With an approved campus plan, UBC Okanagan can now begin developing detailed transportation plans, updating design guidelines, and planning for public realm and sustainable infrastructure implementation throughout campus.