New Student Housing

The new buildings will include at least 785 beds. About 625 of these will be new beds in addition to 160 beds to be replaced. New student housing on campus will respond to a broad range of student needs, including people with a wide range of physical abilities. A variety of room types and layouts are being considered including traditional dorm rooms and "pod" style living which includes single rooms with a shared kitchen and living areas.

The creation of the 2016 Campus Plan involved extensive community engagement. Part of the Campus Plan renewal process involved identifying a number of different sites on campus that might work for a modern building for student housing. The university has selected two sites, “Ring Road” and “Cadboro Commons,” that will accommodate two new buildings for student housing on campus. These sites were supported by Campus Planning Committee and the President in November 2017.

The proposed student housing project will provide housing on campus for 600 existing students currently living in the community. The project will not displace existing parking stalls. Students living on campus generate less parking demand than those students living in the community. As a result, daily commuting trips to and from the campus will decrease and demand for parking on campus is also expected to decrease by 74 parking stalls.

Uvic offers the following transportation alternatives on campus to support sustainable transportation:

• SPOKES is a unique bicycle upcycling and loan program that provides low-cost, long or short-term bike rentals
• There are two car-share programs available on the UVic campus including Modo and ZipCar.
• U-Pass provides students with unlimited access to Victoria region public transit and the new student housing project is located within 200 m of the UVic Transit Exchange.
  
• UVic also offers the UVic Employee bus pass program that offers more than 50% off the regular price.
• The new student housing project will also integrate secure, indoor bicycle storage.

UVic is exploring the feasibility of meeting Passive House Certification:
Passive House can reduce energy consumption by up to 80% by using techniques like; triple glazed windows, solar sharing, a reduced window to wall ratio, and more insulation to reduce heat loss.

UVic is exploring LEED Certification and design principles:
Through the design process, UVic will investigate incorporating LEED principles including: low flow fixtures, drought tolerant plantings, low VOC interior finishes, and energy efficient fixtures and appliances.

LEED certification is also being considered.

The District of Saanich is exploring BC Energy Step Code requirements:
The BC Energy Step Code also focuses on developing highly efficient buildings that require minimal heating and cooling. Saanich is considering changes to the Building Bylaw that would incorporate Step Code requirements. If adopted, this project would meet Step Code Level 3.

As we consider the future, we will preserve the spirit of place inherited from the past, respecting and supporting the commitments to environmental stewardship and sustainability that are so widely shared in our community and our culture.  

As part of the design and process, the project will explore opportunities to recognize and preserve the spirit of place inherited from the past, and connect students to Indigenous communities and the history of the traditional territories where UVic resides. Building on UVic’s Indigenous Plan, the project design process will explore opportunities to include design elements that can educate the campus community about Indigenous history and culture.

We acknowledge and respect the Lkwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

In June 2018, the community was engaged on early design concepts for each of the buildings. The community was also engaged on sustainable design principles. A copy of the engagement summary can be found here.

The broader community was engaged in March of 2018 to provide feedback on the planning principles for each of the sites including; building massing and height, pedestrian promenades, vehicle/delivery access and transportation and parking. A copy of the engagement summary can be found here.

UVic Students were engaged in the fall of 2017 and provided early feedback on room furnishings, interior common rooms, outdoor landscape design and meal plan options. A copy of the engagement summary can be found here.