The success of the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Earth Sciences programs resulted in a need for the department to expand in order to accommodate a growing enrollment of 360 major/honours students, 170 graduate students, and more than 6,400 undergrads each semester. As a university with a history of leadership in the advancement of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, the use of wood for the construction of the UBC’s Earth Sciences Building (ESB) complemented the relationship between environment and science.
The new 5-storey north wing of the ESB will house the academic research, lecture, and office spaces at UBC’s Point Grey Campus in Vancouver. Unlike the 5-storey concrete laboratory wing, the academic wing uses wood as the primary structural material because of its architectural qualities and value as a renewable resource. Located along Main Mall, an important north/south artery on campus, the ESB project is exposed to high volumes of pedestrian traffic. Directly across the street from the ESB is the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum, which, together with the nearby Pacific Museum of the Earth, forms an inspiring collection of buildings and features that showcase wood in construction for both the university and public at large. Securing UBC’s position as a global leader in earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, the ESB is a centre of discovery and learning that embodies the impressive academic and physical scope of the UBC campus.
When complete, the academic wing of the ESB will include offices, lecture theatres and graduate workspaces. It will also have a resource cluster on the 5th floor that will serve as a mini-conference facility and incorporate some of the latest technologies to create a flexible learning environment, making the ESB expansion a project that encourages collaboration in both design and academic functionality. The laboratory wing will be dedicated to labs and lab preparation areas, and will also have office space.
