Architectural massing study for the Lower Mall Precinct project

On August 20, SHCS, UBC and the Province of BC announced a major partnership to build a new student residence complex in the Lower Mall Precinct, on the current site of St. John’s College.

The Lower Mall Precinct (LMP) project will address the growing demand for student housing by building approximately 1,500 graduate student focused beds (1,325 new and 175 replacement beds).

The project reflects UBC and SHCS’s commitment to Campus Vision 2050, UBC’s Housing Action Plan and our goals to enhance campus life and support students by providing exceptional, on-campus student housing, food services and child care.

Key features

• Student Housing room types: Numerous room types will be available, including single rooms (with meal plan), plus studio, two bedroom and four bedroom units.
• Dining hall: This project will feature a dining hall for residents and the wider community.
• Child care: Like other recent student housing developments, this project will include a child care setting (37 spaces).
• Environmental sustainability and climate: This project will incorporate many energy-saving features to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will be built to LEED Gold standards.
• Community: By including amenities for student residents and the wider community, we’ll enhance this increasingly vibrant area of campus and create opportunities for community and connection.

Project status and details

Design development and project team

The LMP project is currently in design development, with a project team including Ryder Architecture + 3XN, UBC Properties Trust, UBC Campus + Community Planning, and UBC Student Housing and Community Services.

Project timeline

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion expected between 2028 and 2029.

Financial sustainability

The Government of British Columbia is contributing more than $300 million to this $560 million project in a combination of loan and grants. The balance of the investment comes from UBC internal loans. The financial support from the province means that we can ensure sustainable rents for future generations of UBC students, at this residence and at existing residences.

The 98-year-old that stopped traffic

On November 14, UBC’s historic Old Fire Hall, built in 1926, was carefully lifted from its foundation and relocated—to preserve its heritage for future generations. The building is currently parked at a temporary home on-campus until its permanent relocation as part of the Lower Mall Precinct project.

Learn more

Lower Mall Precinct project

Learn more about the LMP project.

Student Housing growth

Between 2010 and 2024 SHCS and UBC invested more than $700 million to add 6,080 new student housing beds across our two campuses.

Over the next 10–15 years, including the LMP project, 4,800 beds—including 1,000 replacement beds and 3,300 new beds in Vancouver and 500 new beds on the Okanagan campus—are planned. Individual projects will be initiated as demand and financial capacity allow.