Biological Sciences Building

Location:

6270 University Boulevard

Date:

Original construction 1949-1950
South Wing - Zoology 1958-59
West Wing - Fisheries and Oceanography 1968
North Wing 1974
UBC Renew August 2011
New East Wing and Renovated North Wing 2016-2020

Architect:

1949-50: Charles Thompson of Sharp Thompson Berwick Pratt
1958-59: David Hickman
1969: Duncan McNab and Associates
1974: McNab, Barkley, Logan and Young
2011: Acton Ostry Architects
2016-2020: Diamond Schmitt

Cost:

1949-50: $936,096
1958-59: $1,381,987 (estimated)
1974: $5,250,000
2011: $61,800,000
2016-2020: $91,400,000

Sources of funds:

1949-50: Pharmacy endowment ($30,000), B.C. Government
1974: B.C. government grant
2011: B.C. government, federal government, Knowledge Infrastructure Program
2016-2020: $32.5M - federal government, $11.8M - provincial government, $47.1M - UBC

Architectural features:

Reinforced concrete structure. Original 3 wings exterior - architectural concrete finished with fine granite stucco surface. Main entrance and the plinth of the main facades veneered with B.C. granite.
UBC Renew Upgrades: The centerpiece of the building’s many sustainability features is the made-at-UBC Core Sunlighting System (CSS), seismic, fire safety. Heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and water management were upgraded as well.
New East Wing and 2020 renovation included glass windows featuring images of close-up versions of microorganisms throughout the complex. The new east wing features the Undergraduate Life Sciences Teaching Labs and is named as such. The redesigned complex features a new courtyard in the centre with a “living wall” on the south end. The new construction is LEED Gold Certified.

Notes:

The 2016-2020 construction was slowed significantly due to the ground being polluted with salt-water and asbestos.

Sources:

Thompson, Berwick, Pratt; Committee on Campus Development and Planning; UBC Reports Nov.1974 and Dec.1968., UBC Public Affairs; Ubyssey; Daily Hive; UBC Science.

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