WHERE STUDENTS AND FACULTY CAN GATHER, PLAY, SOCIALIZE AND THRIVE

UBC

Renderings: www.shapearchitecture.ca

The UBC Recreation Centre is a state-of-the-art centre that brings an unparagoned perspective to the UBC campus community’s health and wellness through the lens of global diversity and inclusion. The program consists of three competition-sized gymnasia, four levels of fitness space, several multi-purpose rooms as well as associated administrative spaces.

At 9,383 m², the welcoming experience of the new facility is defined by the unification of a continuous roof and central lobby, marrying the fitness spaces and gymnasia with the front desk and changerooms. Rec Centre North creates a focal point on campus where students and faculty can gather, play, socialize and thrive. It provides a place for not only student athletes to achieve their fitness goals, but also for all members of the community to support their wellbeing.

The UBC Recreation Centre project is designed to meet Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification and LEED Gold Certification requirements. The building incorporates various features to make the facility universally accessible, while also utilizing passive design strategies to improve its energy performance.

Located next to the existing UBC Life Building, the New Recreation Centre creates new accessible connections to existing disparate levels and integrates the experience into the facility itself. Previously, the north entrance to the UBC Life Building required many stairs, and a lengthy ramp which led directly to the basement level instead of the main floor. To ameliorate this, Rec Centre North will include a north to south sloped exterior walkway that extends the student services spine from the Nest and Life buildings to the new north public realm.

The entire experience, including proportion, materiality, alignment, colour, transparency and shape were all carefully considered when designing the space between the existing Life Building and the New Rec Building. The pathway orients pedestrians to the adjacent facilities, but also leads them to the larger campus through the recognizable wayfinding elements of the Bosque and Athlete’s Way.

Covered space wraps the south edge, offering rain protection and shading for the heat-dominated gymnasia, while still allowing sunshine to fill this edge. Large outdoor seating in front of the glazing into the gymnasia encourage lingering from passersby. Light-coloured cladding reflects light into the shaded north edge of the Life building, further illuminating the space. All these elements come together to offer a comfortable place to pause.

Strategic placement of windows, benches and landscaping further enhance the campus connection and encourage a dialogue between interior and exterior. Having both formal and informal recreation on display draws the larger campus into the sphere of health and wellness. Transparency along the ground plane creates passive surveillance of the public realm. Site lighting assists this visual control to enhance the safety and legibility of pedestrian routes to and from the larger campus.

The project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by autumn 2024, in time to welcome new students to the UBC campus.

www.shapearchitecture.ca