The UBC Okanagan Master Plan led by PFS Studio was initiated to create a UBC campus in the interior of British Columbia. It was the first significant expansion of UBC’s presence outside of Vancouver and intended to respond to a growing interest in UBC from students outside of the Lower Mainland.
The campus is located on approximately 100 hectares in a beautiful North Okanagan landscape with a mix of grassland and ponderosa pine. Prior to becoming a part of UBC, the site was partially occupied by a community college whose cluster of buildings and road networks were rationalized within the new UBCO Plan prepared by PFS in collaboration with KPMB in Toronto. The firm was charged with the responsibility of creating a comprehensive campus Master Plan that was informed in part by UBCO’s Academic Plan with an emphasis on a diverse curriculum in an engaging environment to promote a mix of social and academic activities. The project required a complex and thorough investigation of land use, the site’s robust topography, view considerations, circulation, infrastructure, and user groups to create the most engaging and memorable solution possible.
