Orchard Commons 1001

Room 1001 is a classroom in UBC’s Orchard Commons, a mixed-use housing/academic hub completed in 2016. RSAAW were brought on board in early 2022 by the UBC Learning Spaces team to advise on the feasibility of renovating the room with upgraded furniture and AV capabilities to facilitate more immersive, collaborative, and technology-enriched ways of teaching and learning. 

The proposed AV upgrades necessitated installation of extended conduit infrastructure to access existing electrical and data cabling. 

The scope of the project expanded to consideration of more creative pedagogical solutions after delays in sourcing AV components postponed the renovation until 2023, allowing time for exploration of additional spatial layouts. Informed by a series of collaborative stakeholder workshops, RSAAW developed a design solution which accommodates a higher room seat count without compromising student comfort. By offering tech-optimized furniture solutions and curating table positioning to better align with existing power options, we provided added value by reducing construction costs and associated logistical challenges.