UBC’s newest building is a central hub for student health care with upgraded facilities that will improve programs available to the broader campus community.
The 270,550-square-foot mass timber and steel Gateway Health Building is located on the northwest corner of Wesbrook Mall and University Boulevard. Its $207.9 million cost was covered by the university, donors, and the province.
In addition to offering a central location for student health services, the building is also home to UBC’s school of nursing and kinesiology programs.
Campus officials say the building will also host an interprofessional teaching clinic that is expected to open up to the public later this year. The clinic will seek to develop and test innovations in education and health care, while offering primary care options for community members currently without a health care provider. UBC media said the clinic is still in a business planning phase and more details are expected to be announced leading up to the opening.
Beginning next month, Gateway will also be the new home for Active Kids, an outreach program of the UBC School of Kinesiology.
The program includes Active Kids gymnastics and the after-school Kids Fit program. Both will soon move from UBC’s Osborne Centre to Gateway’s basement- level gymnasium, which features new equipment including a sprung floor, as well as easily accessible water fountains, washrooms, and changerooms.
“The actual footprint of the new gymnastics gym is bigger than what we have over there, so it’ll allow for more children to come through every hour, and more kinesiology students to work in there at any given time,” says Active Kids Program Director Dylan Brown.
He said the building will be easily accessible for drop-offs, with free 15-minute parking available for registered users.
The gym facilities will also be the new home for summer camps and birthday parties, as well as Changing Aging – an exercise program for seniors.
UBC Student health centre
On the third floor of Gateway is the full slate of UBC Student Health and Wellbeing’s services and programs, which fits in with their holistic vision of health care.
“For the first time, the majority of student health services on campus are integrated in one location,” says Robin Ryan, Associate Director, Student Health and Wellbeing. “This is primary care, nurses, nurse practitioners, family doctors, physician specialists, as well as mental health professionals, social workers, registered clinical counselors, psychologists.”
“It means that students can come to one hub for all their health concerns.”
Those services are now open with health practitioners ready to see students.
UBC officials say the Gateway building was designed in collaboration with Musqueam representatives, and features native plants in its outdoor entrance area, as well as artwork by six Musqueam artists.
It is designed as a net-zero carbon building and to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
EMMANUEL SAMOGLOU IS THE MANAGING EDITOR OF THE CAMPUS RESIDENT.