By September 2017, two more first-year residences will open — Orchard Commons and the second phase of Totem Park. There are currently two first-year student residences, Totem Park and Place Vanier.
These two new residences will compensate for the current shortage of available space at Totem and Vanier. In the last academic year, UBC received an estimated 900 more housing applications from first-year students than could be accommodated by first-year residences. Due to the shortage, Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) had to place first-year students into the Walter Gage Residence, which is meant as accommodation for upper-year students.
The shortage of first-year housing has led to the displacement of the upper-year students meant to live in residences such as Walter Gage. This has been a problem for the last few years as students on campus increased and Vantage College was opened.
Housing shortages have also deprived the first-years assigned to Gage of the advantages of a first-year residence.
“It’s not the best environment for a first-year student — central dining and a stronger community sense can be built at Totem and Vanier, [and] more services [can be] provided to first-year students,” said Andrew Parr, managing director of SHHS.
“[Totem Park Phase 2] and the opening of Orchard … will bring those first-year students back into first-year residence and free up those spaces for upper-year students,” said Parr.
The Orchard Commons — which was created in partnership with Vantage College — will be open for occupancy by September of this year and will house 1,048 students. The facility uses the modified-traditional setup of having one bathroom for two students and a shared dining area.
“Those students that reside [at Orchard Commons] will be on meal plan and it’s a really beautiful dining facility that’s being built not only for the students that live there, but for all residents that want to dine and for the broader community as well,” said Parr.
By September of 2017, the university will also have Totem Phase 2 open for an additional 354 first-year students. Consultation for the project began back in October of last year and construction is currently underway.
Unlike Orchard Commons, Totem Phase 2 will use the traditional setup with one shared bathroom on each floor, like the ones currently in Vanier and the majority of Totem.
“What we heard from a number of students is that the … community is much greater with the more traditional-type structure,” said Parr. “That’s the reason we’ve decided to build that type of facility.”
The construction of Totem Phase 2 did require the removal of the existing tennis courts in Totem Park. There are currently plans to reconstruct them in the forested area directly adjacent from the new residence.
“We’re building back some hard court surfaces this summer in time for September … That was a commitment from the very beginning that we didn’t want to lose,” said Parr.