This two-storey community centre is the new heart of the rapidly growing Wesbrook Village neighbourhood at the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia.

The design aims to support and enrich social and cultural life of the community, offering a place for small-scale gatherings, community events and celebrations. Features include a gymnasium, fitness facility, multipurpose rooms, teen centre, dance studio, child-minding centre, and a café. Program organized around central atrium that serves as gathering space and circulation corridor – gym, fitness and teen centres to north, meeting and multipurpose rooms to south, and dance studio adjacent to main entrance perched above mostly glazed café. Its exterior cladding (split-faced granite with accent panels of western cedar) chosen to reflect the character of village and forest landsape of nearby Pacific Spirit Park.

The design team (consisting of Francl Architecture and Public: Architecture + Communications) collaborated with the UBC Sustainability office to explore and ensure best practices were met. In alignment with University’s progressive sustainability agenda, the building was designed to meet energy use target of 160 kW/hr/m2 per year, consistent with LEED Gold standard.

Occupancy was received on November 26, 2015 and the Centre is up and running since.

For more information, please visit the University Neighbourhoods Association website.