Unveiling the new dedication plaque at UBC’s Engineering, Management and Education building official opening ceremony were, from left: Roger Sugden, dean, Faculty of Management; Deborah Buszard, principal and deputy vice chancellor, Okanagan campus; Ben Stewart, BC minister of Citizens’ Services and Open Government, Curtis Tse, student, Faculty of Management; Stephen Toope, president, UBC; Lynn Bosetti, dean, Faculty of Education; and Spiro Yannacopoulos, associate dean and director, School of Engineering.
Official opening for Engineering, Management and Education (EME) building
An impressive high-tech building designed to inspire students and produce extraordinary research collaboration was officially opened today at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
At 186,000 square feet, and completed with a budget of $68 million, the Engineering, Management and Education (EME) building is home to four faculties and schools: The School of Engineering, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Management and the College of Graduate Studies. It is the largest single project undertaken as part of the campus master plan.
“The people who will make the significant discoveries of the next generation are in the classrooms and labs of this new Engineering, Management and Education building,” says UBC President Prof. Stephen Toope.
“Students, researchers, and scholars will redefine our notion of the world by challenging concepts and engaging with students and society in new understanding. Together, they will improve our world from within these walls. That is truly exciting,” says Toope.
“We are proud to have invested over $40 million in this building and I want to thank our partners for their generous investments in our province’s future,” says Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology John Yap. “As part of our Skills and Training Plan, we’re taking an important step to ensure we have qualified civil, electrical and mechanical engineering professionals, as well as business leaders and educators, to meet the anticipated labour market demands in British Columbia.”
“We spend a lot of time thinking about how our university can have the greatest impact on our region and beyond,” says Prof. Deborah Buszard, UBC deputy vice-chancellor and principal of the Okanagan campus. “The faculties housed in this building are transformative influences in the Okanagan and they have great impact far beyond our region. This is where our future engineers, teachers, and business leaders are learning about the world and how they can improve it.”
“UBCO plays a critical role in the Okanagan, and this facility will ensure engineering, management and education students are able to train in BC to help meet the needs of our local and provincial economy, now and for the future,“ says Minister of Citizen Services and Open Government and MLA for Westside-Kelowna Ben Stewart. “We’re supporting BC’s Jobs Plan by helping prepare British Columbians for the jobs of tomorrow and supporting demands for education and research.”
“What began as a conceptual drawing on a campus master plan has become a wonderful, thriving reality,” says Prof. Spiro Yannacopoulos, director of the School of Engineering. “There are literally hundreds of examples of how the students and members of faculty who call this building home are engaged in research with the power to transform society.”
Engineering researchers, for instance, are developing the building blocks for light-speed computers that could revolutionize the notion of what computers can do. Green roof research is underway that will help semi-arid regions around the world design more sustainable buildings. Civil engineers are helping communities make better decisions about how and when to replace aging – and failing – pipes, roads and bridges. Education researchers are developing the next generation of classrooms in their innovation lab, and helping teachers better understand ways to mindfully engage students. Management researchers are helping us understand social networks and consumer culture.
The EME building was designed and built with the needs of students in mind. One of the building’s distinguishing features is the Richard S. Hallisey Atrium, providing bright, spacious areas for students, faculty and staff from all programs to socialize, study and interact. Multipurpose classrooms and laboratory facilities bring students together through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities.
Not only functional, the EME building is environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Construction was performed to a Gold Seal standard – in 2010 the national Gold Seal program used this project as a showcase for Gold Seal Certification. This is also a LEED Gold building, which recognizes very high standards for building sustainability. Along with a geothermal energy system that heats and cools the building using groundwater from beneath the campus, the building features green roof technology, which helps insulate the building, handle storm water and also serves as a research laboratory.
Engineering students use the glass wall as a whiteboard in one of the break-out rooms in the Engineering, Management and Education Building.
At 186,000 square feet and built at a cost of $68-million, the Engineering, Management and Education Building is the largest academic building on UBC’s Okanagan campus.
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