UBC Okanagan Skeena House

Kelowna, British Columbia

Aiming to be a pioneering Passive House–certified student residence, the six-storey Skeena House will provide 220 bedrooms and amenity space to UBC Okanagan students.

Completing an ensemble of residence buildings encircling the Commons Field, the project focuses on student life and support services while synching up with the existing campus.

The first floor of Skeena House contains communal lounges, activity rooms, and a laundry that encourage happenstance gathering and passive surveillance.

To maintain safety and privacy, the upper five floors contain the residence apartments, semiprivate living, and study areas.

The design maximizes efficiency through a repeating floor plan of a shared bathroom flanked by two bedrooms.