How to design an inviting built environment that incorporates sustainability, health, and well-being? Architecture provides a comprehensive view of society and sociological studies of architectural form, which can be drawn from this viewpoint. According to Lefebvre, space is not a subject or an object but rather a collection of architectural forms and social relationships.
Perkins & Will partnered with Schmidt Hammer Lassen (Perkins & Will Denmark studio) and designed the new health science and research building at the entrance that would work as a gateway to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
The gateway building serves two primary objectives when placed in that particular location. The first is that it acts as both the major entryway to the campus and an emblem of UBC. The second is that it serves as the student’s social hub within the sizable atrium that connects the two built structures.
The building’s design aims to incorporate Musqueam ideas and expressions through community participation to symbolize the structure as a reflection of Musqueam culture and values, the indigenous people of Vancouver. The Gateway is a democratic built form that reflects and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, collaboration, pluralism, and cultural diversity.
Health and well-being
A six-story atrium’s central lightwell is linked to each floor by a large staircase that rises from the basement, promoting physical movement. The central atrium’s design also facilitates interdisciplinary, interactive spaces that will serve as a platform for idea sharing and acting as the institution’s social heart. The ground floor’s large windows allow for a clear visual interaction between the occupants and the designed, landscaped outdoor setting.
The 270,000-square-foot gateway structure is designed to house the School of Nursing, School of Kinesiology, Integrated Student Health Services, and a portion of UBC Health and Language Sciences. There will be a plethora of settings, including offices, lecture halls, classrooms, workout centres, and healthcare facilities. The building is designed with traditional Musqueam building techniques and resources to provide a spacious, comfortable refuge with abundant natural light. The architecture of the building is surrounded by a landscape that reflects the Musqueam locality in which it is located and places emphasis on indigenous plants and natural ecology.
Sustainability
The site’s design, which integrates principles emblematic of the Musqueam people, was developed through collaborative efforts and adheres to egalitarianism. Musqueam suggestions are carefully taken into consideration in every aspect of the planning process. This entails the use of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language in the wayfinding and signage as well as the encouragement of commuters to participate in activities that are associated with the designed built space.
The architecture of the building is shaped by the surrounding campus and the natural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. For the construction of the building as well as the cladding of the public sections, locally sourced wood is recommended. These locally sourced wood structures include an atrium with skylights in the middle that recreates the experience of walking through an Indigenous forest.
Low embodied carbon is proposed to be part of the design to attain the wish list, which includes a minimum of LEED Gold and the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building design certification. The new building is designed to enhance the built environment by having architectural aspects that reflect the distinctive character of the university.
The material considerations for the Gateway Building are based on a minimal design that is specifically attributed to the existing campus material vocabulary. Material selection is very contextual, ranging from the regional size to the micro-scale of the university campus.
Every component, from the choice of wood or wood-composite material to the application of horizontally applied boards, exemplifies the Musqueam building tradition. This is an effort to contextualize the entire design process.
In terms of structural innovation and construction techniques, the Gateway building is envisioned as a highly integrated modular and prefabricated structure, where large spans are achievable due to the hybrid timber structural design of the building’s upper floors. To expedite construction, it is proposed that composite timber and concrete panels be preassembled off-site. Three-meter-wide panels of the building envelope are also proposed to be manufactured off-site and placed in line with the structural timber module at the building’s edge. The facade’s modular panelized envelope is intended to complement the structure of the building.
From floors two through six, terracotta, composite stone, or glass-fiber reinforced concrete three-dimensional cladding is recommended to be applied, whereas the full-height glass at each level is self-shading while also imparting texture and relief to the facade.
To stand out from the other built forms and serve as a punctuation mark at this extremity of the campus, the gateway is designed to be taller than the buildings immediately around it. The Gateway, a marvel of architecture that is scheduled to be completed by 2024, has received the 2021 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
Reference
Canadian Architect (2021) UBC Gateway, Canadian Architect. Available at: https://www.canadianarchitect.com/ubc-gateway/ (Accessed: October 15, 2022).
Malone, D. (2021) Perkins&Will to design New Gateway Building for the University of British Columbia, Building Design + Construction. Available at: https://www.bdcnetwork.com/perkinswill-design-new-gateway-building-university-british-columbia (Accessed: October 15, 2022).
Harrison, T. (2021) Perkins&Will transforms the campus arrival experience at the…, Perkins&Will. Available at: https://perkinswill.com/news/perkinswill-transforms-the-campus-arrival-experience-at-the-university-of-british-columbia/ (Accessed: October 14, 2022).
Preecy, C. (2022) UBC Gateway, Perkins&Will. Available at: https://perkinswill.com/project/ubc-gateway/ (Accessed: October 15, 2022).
SHL – UBC gateway (no date) SHL UBC Gateway Comments. Available at: https://www.shl.dk/ubc-gateway/#:~:text=The%20new%20Gateway%20building%20at,students%2C%20staff%2C%20and%20visitors (Accessed: October 15, 2022).
