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VANCOUVER – The oldest academic building at the University of B.C.,
serving students for over 80 years, has been transformed into a world-class
chemistry research and teaching facility with the help of $16 million from the
Province, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell said today.
“We’ve
partnered with UBC to restore and upgrade the chemistry building under an
innovative funding agreement called UBC Renew that is preserving the
environment, taxpayers’ dollars and UBC’s architectural heritage,” Coell said.
“The result is that students and faculty have access to state-of-the-art
chemistry labs where researchers can work together in a safe, productive environment.”
The
chemistry building, originally completed in 1923, is one of 10 projects being
funded through UBC Renew, a $120-million cost-sharing partnership between the
Province and UBC. Rather than demolishing and replacing deteriorating
buildings, UBC Renew restores and upgrades them, saving millions of dollars in
building and operating costs and months of construction time. UBC Renew
projects also improve the learning environment and accessibility for thousands
of students, and reduce the impact on the environment.
In the
chemistry building, space has been reconfigured to create large, open and
flexible labs that encourage researcher collaboration. Lecture theatres and
offices have been upgraded; new heating, ventilation, plumbing, lighting, power
and data systems installed; and seismic, sprinkler and other building code
upgrades completed. The new finishes in the $31.8-million project are low VOC
and green materials.
“The
chemistry building is synonymous with UBC’s history,” said UBC president Stephen
Toope. “The historic photo of students congregating in the concrete skeleton of
this building epitomizes our student activism and the birth of the Point Grey
campus. Restoring its past grandeur and modernizing the facility, all the while
improving safety and sustainability, is what UBC Renew is all about.”
The
Province has committed $60 million through UBC Renew, which has revitalized
buildings M17 and M18 for theatre and visual arts students, the chemistry north
and centre buildings, and two wings of the Buchanan complex for the arts
faculty. UBC estimates renewal has saved more than $45 million over the cost of
replacing these buildings to date.
A seventh
project, the Friedman building, is expected to be finished this summer to
provide a new home for the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, and the
School of Rehabilitation Sciences’ physical therapy program. Two more projects
– Buchanan B and the old auditorium – are to start this year.
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