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Biological Sciences Complex at UBC

This is a project by Acton Ostry Architects and it is located at UBC, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Project's program: Renovation of educational building. There are fourteen images for Biological Sciences Complex at UBC.

: © Martin Tessler

Project details

Project name: Biological Sciences Complex at UBC
Location: UBC, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Program: Renovation of educational building
Area: Project Size: 170,000 sf
Year: Completion: 2011
More details: Cost: $ 45 Million
Client: University of British Columbia
Project by: Acton Ostry Architects
Team: Principal Designers: Russell Acton, Mark Ostry • Design Team: Susan Ockwell, Nathaniel Straathof

Project images

Designer's statement

The newly renovated Biological Sciences Complex, South and West Wings (a 170000 square foot project) includes the renewal of spaces originally built more than 50 years ago. The Complex now houses new state-of-the-art laboratories, aquaria, informal research spaces, classrooms, seminar rooms and gathering spaces for the Departments of Botany and Zoology.

The Biological Sciences Complex is located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Main Mall and University Boulevard, adjacent to a network of related teaching and research facilities. The complex is comprised of the original Centre Block, designed by Sharp and Thompson in 1948, that was later surrounded by a South Wing, by Thompson Berwick & Pratt in 1957, a West Wing facing Main Mall, and a North Wing facing University Boulevard, both by Duncan McNab and Associates in 1970 and 1974 respectively.

The Biological Sciences Complex was funded in partnership with the Government of Canada’s stimulus funding Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The design and construction of the project were completed in less than 19 months, under budget and ahead of the Program’s schedule.

The UBC Renew Biological Sciences Complex Project has dramatically transformed the South and West Wings, which were identified as having the highest levels of deferred maintenance and therefore providing the greatest opportunity to achieve synergies between academic priorities and code, seismic, scholastic, and energy saving programs.

By upgrading the building systems, partitions and finishes, the life of the West and South Wings has been extended by at least forty years.

Designed to LEED Gold, the complex incorporates a partial building envelope upgrade; new thermally broken double-glazing; highly efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems; heat recovery; high efficiency pumps and reduced water consumption. The addition of a bio-swale located between the West Wing and Main Mall mitigate storm water run off and provide an educational landscape.

New seismic upgrade measures were introduced to the exterior of the complex. Of particular interest, three seismic buttresses have been introduced to accommodate the latest earthquake structural requirements. The concrete buttresses are clad with laminated glass panels that are illuminated at night. The glass panels are printed with botanical and zoological images, visually referencing the building’s use and animating the pedestrian walkway along the Main Mall of the campus.

The interior, comprised of laboratories, classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, includes more window area to let in natural daylight and to offer views of the campus. The corridors incorporate large expanses of glass to allow natural daylight to pass far into the interior of the building. The botanical and zoological image patterning used on the exterior seismic buttresses has been introduced into the interior of the building in the form of large glass panels that mark and identify the various laboratories throughout the complex. The combination of patterned glass, natural wood paneling, and improved circulation patterns creates a welcoming space that will facilitate cross-disciplinary interaction between students and faculty.

As part of a UBC-led pilot project, the design team incorporated the installation of an innovative prototype technology developed by SunCentral that increases the depth that sunshine can reach deep inside buildings. Developed by Dr. Lorne Whitehead, Professor and NSERC/3M Chair, and his Structured Surface Physics Lab at the University of British Columbia, the innovative solar lighting system reduces the amount of energy consumed thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing energy savings.

The Biological Sciences Complex project was built by Scott Construction Group with project management by UBC Infrastructure Development.

The Department of Botany is one of the largest Botany Departments in North America and offers a wide range of research and educational programs. Specializations range from the organismal to the molecular level. The Department of Zoology is internationally renowned for research in a variety of modern biological sciences, including ecology, evolution, physiology, neurobiology, cell biology and development.