A national architectural design competition will help the
University of British Columbia create a new entrance to UBC,
according to provisions of the University Boulevard Neighbourhood
Plan endorsed by the university’s Board of Governors.
"Canada’s finest architects will bring our community
together to ensure that we achieve the most exciting design
to define the character and identity of the university’s main
entrance," said Dennis Pavlich, Vice-President, External
and Legal Affairs.
"The competition will enable voting by the campus community
as part of the recommendation process to the Board of Governors,"
Pavlich said, noting this will be the first such competition
since the 1991 Vancouver Public Library commission won by
Montreal architect Moshe Safdie.
"The University Boulevard Neighbourhood will be a place
where academic, student, resident and visitor activities will
combine to create a vibrant entrance to a more complete community
that is part of the emerging University Town at UBC,"
Pavlich said.
The University Boulevard Neighbourhood Plan calls for a mix
of institutional, transit, housing, social, retail and recreational
uses within the University Boulevard area west of Wesbrook
Mall. The plan addresses sustainable growth commitments to
the GVRD Livable Region Strategy set out the UBC Official
Community Plan approved by the GVRD in 1997.
Key features of the University Boulevard Neighbourhood plan
include:
- a below-ground transit station beneath a new University
Square, envisioned as a "social heart" for the
campus - university-related shops and services
- university housing
- relocation of Empire Pool to a newly created nearby Athletics
Commons - building height limited to five storeys
The below-ground transit station is urgently needed to accommodate
a large increase in buses following last month’s successful
introduction of the low-fare U-Pass program for students,
Pavlich said. "U-Pass is a tremendous boost in reducing
single-occupancy-vehicle trips to campus, but we’re having
to cope with the extra transit vehicles by using the main
UBC entrance on University Boulevard as a bus parking lot."
The plan endorsed by the Board of Governors at its Oct. 2
meeting underwent several revisions following eight months
of public consultation. Higher density development (including
highrise buildings), through traffic to Marine Drive, and
market housing were all removed from the plan as a result
of community feedback.
Board of Governors’ endorsement of the plan clears the way
for submission to the GVRD for compliance with the UBC Official
Community Plan.
University Boulevard is one of eight neighbourhoods planned
or under way at UBC’s emerging University Town. The overall
vision is to create an environmentally sustainable, complete
community where students, faculty and staff can live, work
and study.
For more information, visit www.universitytown.ubc.ca.
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