UVic has reached the detailed design stage of the engineering expansion project of world-leading green buildings that combine leading edge energy efficiency design features with a mass timber structure, and green and solar roofs that showcase UVic’s expertise in environmental sustainability.

The buildings will serve as a living lab for experiential learning, research and industry partnerships to build community resilience and tackle climate change, clean energy and healthcare solutions. Funding still needs to be secured, to bring this vision to fruition.

“Through the expansion of our engineering and computer science facilities, we are leading by doing—advancing green building design and construction, fostering innovation and technologies to create new jobs and prosperity for the province, and deepening our commitment to climate action and sustainability on a local, national and international level,” says UVic President Kevin Hall.

Expansion plans include a six-storey extension to the existing Engineering and Computer Science Building. The 5,906m² mass timber extension with a green roof will include multidisciplinary instructional and research labs with highly specialized equipment and infrastructure, design studios, computer labs, faculty and graduate student office space.

An adjacent 2,253 m² High-Bay Structures Research Lab (HBRSL) will be located on parking lot A near the Engineering Lab Wing and will feature a three-storey space equipped with a gantry crane, a large shake table and other engineering facilities which will serve the unique needs of civil engineering research. In addition to research focused on structural testing, the HBSRL will also accommodate large-scale experiments related to geotechnical, and materials and building science research.

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