Buchanan Courtyard UBC Public Realm

Project Snapshot

Budget: $2.8 million
Project Manager: UBC Project Services – Dianna Foldi

Project Summary

The two public courtyards surrounded by the Buchanan Faculty of Arts Buildings were renewed to provide Arts and the greater campus community with spaces for gatherings, celebrations, performances and idea exchange. The West Courtyard designed as a “Contemporary Agora for the Arts” houses a new pavilion and reflective pool, covered café patio, and sculptural seating elements dotted throughout. In contrast to the West Courtyard, the East Courtyard was designed as a naturalistic “green” space for quiet contemplation and small informal gatherings.

Over 80,000 square feet of existing outdoor space was renovated from below ground up in response to years of deferred maintenance and deterioration. Improvements consisted of a new storm water management system, including a water harvesting, filtration and recycling in the form of a naturalistic “rain-garden” , a new pavilion and reflecting pool, powered exterior seating, new lighting, new concrete pavers and new indigenous, drought-tolerant planting. The project has applied for LEED Gold Certification and is currently in the review process.