UBC Hebb Building Renewal

Originally constructed in 1964, the six-storey University of British Columbia (UBC) Hebb Building was in need of an upgrade to meet and exceed seismic, life and safety standards It had been rated one of UBC’s buildings most likely to collapse during an earthquake.

UBC also wanted to upgrade the condition of the facility as a whole in order to support their academic partners and meet service objectives, current codes, sustainability objectives and principles, and the UBC technical standards.

RJC Engineers was brought onto the upgrade project team to provide structural engineering, building enclosure and building performance services.

The six-storey renewal project included a seismic upgrade as well as a new pedestrian bridge to the neighboring Hennings building and the reconfiguration of teaching support spaces within the existing space to support a new modern pedagogy for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

For the exterior of the Hebb Building renewal, new concrete shear walls at the north and south ends of the tower extended from the foundation to the roof level.The existing brick cladding was remediated and seismically restrained, and insulation was added at the interior face of the perimeter walls to improve thermal comfort and energy performance of the exterior building enclosure, along with all new Glazing Systems.