UBC Third Space Commons
Columbia Skylights is proud to support the students of UBC as they pioneer energy efficient construction techniques and compete in the prestigious Solar Decathlon Design Challenge.
Columbia supplied the Canadian made ENERGY STAR® certified triple glazed electric venting skylights for this innovative project. Our exceptional energy efficient skylights keep the building warm in the winter and provide cooling ventilation in the summer.
UBC team competes to construct a zero emissions building
Third Quadrant Design is the world’s first student team to design and build a net-zero academic space on its own campus.
The project, called Third Space Commons constructed on UBC’s Vancouver campus from 2021 to 2023. An advanced example of a net zero energy and carbon single-family home.
UBC’s Third Quadrant Design team represents a multidisciplinary team of students with a common purpose of promoting regenerative design practices and education across the university and the building industry.
The Solar Decathlon Build Challenge is a sustainable building competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy to design and construct a demonstrative zero emissions building.
Working to advance construction technology and industry awareness
The first is as an existing single-family home on UBC’s campus. Third Quadrant will deconstruct and adaptively reuse materials and systems from this existing building to highlight the feasibility and need for reuse in today’s building market.
UBC Engineering Design Team aiming to support the design, education, and adoption of high performance buildings
The advanced argon gas filled laminated triple glazing insulates the skylight during cooler months, while the venting features cools the building during the summer. The electrically operated opening refreshes the building with a gentle cross breeze, while expelling built up heat that has risen into the vaulted ceiling and air borne toxins, odours, and dust.
In its second life, Third Space Commons will serve as a net-zero energy and carbon single-family home for the Solar Decathlon competition. With a pandemic and a growing population, our build responds to the need for flexibility in everyday life through its live-work typology. The space itself is adaptable to the needs of a family during different times of the day. Design decisions are guided by five key principles: carbon minimalism, circularity, flexibility, living lab, and resilience.
After the competition, the building will have a third life as a living lab and student-collaboration space for UBC students. The space’s flexibility will allow for both formal and informal interactions in the form of a classroom and commons area. Integrated building systems such as rainwater collection, mixed-mode ventilation, and smart controls ensure that students have a ‘living lab’ to learn about, experiment and test climate-resilient solutions.
