University of British Columbia Undergraduate Life Sciences Teaching Labs Renewal & Expansion

Building on RJC’s experience on renovations to the West and South blocks of the Biological Sciences complex, RJC provided structural engineering services for the Undergraduate Life Sciences Teaching Lab project.

The overall project included the demolition of the 1948 Centre Block, renewal of the North Wing and a new five-storey East Wing.The project featured a seismic upgrade to the North Wing.

To reduce the impact of the renovation on the interior laboratory spaces, RJC designed external shearwalls to be contained within the voids of existing precast panels.

This design allowed for the walls to be kept out of the internal spaces while still having minimal impact on the exterior appearance of the building.

A new five-storey east wing was also built featuring a large lecture hall, laboratory, teaching, research and support space for both wings.The structural design was coordinated with the architectural and mechanical requirements to allow for long spans over the lecture hall and tight headroom due to the requirement to match the existing floor elevations.