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62 | J UNE 2018 Teaching and Learning Centre – UBCO RENDERING COURTESY MORIYAMA & TESHIMA ARCHITECTS Teaching and Learning Centre – UBCO by ROBIN BRUNET I t's no secret that the University of British Columbia's Okanagan cam- pus is a roaring success, to the point where a master plan had to be created to effectively manage what is expected to be tremendous future growth. So when UBC Properties Trust decided to develop the campus's new three-storey Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC), it wasn't merely to pro- vide an addition that would alleviate crowding to the existing library build- ing (which is the most highly used library in the University's system, with 12 students for every one study space). Instead, the facility would provide quiet learning spaces and other much- needed components for students. Additionally, TLC's simple, bold architectural lines and elegantly canti- levered upper level would serve as an esthetically pleasing visual harbinger of the campus's future growth. Nearing completion as of May, TLC addresses the critical need for addi- tional study, collaborative learning, and large group lecture space on cam- pus. The $35-million facility includes the campus's first 400 seat classroom, supporting growth of high-demand pro- grams; informal learning/collaborative study areas; a digital technology centre; and a visualization lab that enables high resolution data modelling for research and teaching in advanced manufactur- ing processes and other fields. Targeting LEED Gold certification, TLC was the outcome of extensive teacher and student consultation in 2014, with the student body commit- ting to one third of the funding and a joint federal-provincial initiative providing the remainder (along with funding for upgrades elsewhere on the campus) towards the end of 2016. Because of federal government requirements linked to its share of the funding, TLC had to be fast-tracked for a scheduled opening of summer of 2018. Moriyama & Teshima Architects and MQN Architects were retained to help bring TLC to fruition, and Carol Phillips, Toronto-based partner for the former firm, points out that due to the compressed timeline for the proj- ect, "the collaborative effort to bring everything together was immediate – and fortunately, the University had already done a fair amount of work with regards to the programming it required." The design and layout of TLC reflected the architects' understand- ing that the skills and needs of students today are far removed from traditional learning concepts, with a preference towards doing course work at home and coming on campus to undertake problem solving in a group dynamic. MTA also exhibited sensitivity towards the location. "We wanted to connect students to the landscape and streetscape, hence a materials palette drawn from Okanagan ele- ments such as alder wood, and colour enhanced compressed earth for fea- ture walls, along with colours such as jade blue that represent regional lakes," says Phillips. The exterior of the building would represent the Okanagan more subtly. "The skies and sunsets out here are magnificent, so we selected aluminum cladding with just the right amount of reflectivity to make the most of this visual wonder," says Phillips. Taking advantage of the sloped site, the architects created entries for TLC on the lower and upper levels, with the massive, double-height great hall on ground level looking onto the land- scape, and the 400-seat classroom segregated on the second level so as not to impede student traffic in or own- ership of the main level. The classroom itself was designed to have a shallow tier, with two rows per tier and the back rows having a wider table than the front rows "so students can turn their chairs around and work with the students behind them," explains Phillips, adding that an abundance of rows and aisles allow instructors and those with mobility issues to easily navigate and interact. Aside from the fast-track nature of the project, the first construction chal- lenge was the need to re-route an IT trunk line that ran directly through the TLC site. "We had to create a new duct bank and then change out the cables one at a time – and there were hun- dreds of them," says Ken White, project manager at Sawchuk Developments Co. Ltd., who relied on the expertise of the electrical consultant, Smith + Andersen and UBCO's senior network analyst Craig Eden to make this pains- taking task a success. "Also, staging areas were extremely limited due to us being situated next to the library." Mike Mariotto, partner at Bush, Bohlman & Partners LLP, points out that the structural design needed to be completed in advance of the final archi- tectural design in order to meet the tender package, "So close work with the architects early on was crucial to ensure that the building form and materials lived up to the design intent." Mariotto adds that one of the structural challenges was creating a cantilevered floor for the second level quiet study commons over the exterior walkway, so that the huge upper level of the building would flank the main University Way thoroughfare. "That would be a visual highlight, along with the span of the 400-seat classroom over the double-height great hall space. Both it and the cantilever required long, cast- in-place concrete clear span systems." But as for the actual construction process, White describes it "as fairly uneventful, thanks to having acquired great tradespeople and spending a lot of time and effort on noise abatement and safety. As of May we had 75 people on site and were heading towards an end of August finish." Smith + Andersen was responsi- ble for the electrical design (including power, emergency, and lighting design), and associate principal Ian Grannary notes that his firm "also co-ordinated with UBC's audio visual and IT teams to help develop complex and carefully integrated digital technology com- ponents that would help improve the experience of the end users. One exam- ple of this was lining a visualization lab with projectors in order to provide users with an immersive experience." Grannary adds that the lighting located throughout the Teaching and Learning Centre is solely LED. "These LEDs are augmented with occupancy controls in all rooms, as well as day- light controls around the perimeter of the building. Each of the study rooms also provide students with the option to dim the lights to the optimal level." With the completion of the Teaching and Learning Centre, Kelowna's plan to open the extension of John Hindle Drive just north of the campus around the same time will lead to University Way becoming a pedestrian thoroughfare. Also, TLC "is part of a master plan of changing streetscapes and other ele- ments that will enhance the campus over time," says Phillips. "So in a sense, TLC is the beginning of a fresh wave of construction at the university. We loved working on this project, and the creative, can-do spirit that brought a valuable new facility to life." A LOCATION 3333 University Way, Kelowna, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER UBC Properties Trust ARCHITECT Moriyama & Teshima Architects / MQN Architects GENERAL CONTRACTOR Sawchuk Developments Co. Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Bush, Bohlman & Partners LLP MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Williams Engineering Canada Inc. ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Smith + Andersen BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT RJC Engineers Inc. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Plant Architect Inc. TOTAL SIZE 67,974 square feet TOTAL COST $35 million Decor8 FM36037.indd

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