Acton Ostry Architects

Located on eighty acres of dry forest shrubland in the Okanagan Valley, the Geological Field Station serves as base camp for earth, ocean and atmospheric science students as they acquire surveying and sample collection skills used in wilderness exploration. Design and construction of the field station complex is intentionally basic and spare. The unadorned wood-frame structures consist of a small cabin for staff and a main hall that houses learning, dining and washroom functions. Students sleep in large tents pitched throughout the site. The elemental learning environment intentionally simulates life in a remote geological camp. Students experience firsthand conditions in which research is conducted in isolated settings, with a reduced level of comfort, for long hours each day.

project

UBC Geological Field Station

location

Oliver, BC

client

The University of British Columbia

completion

2021

size

625 m2

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front porch

sustainability

LEED Gold equivalent

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inaugural students

We want to stress how remarkable we think the Field Station is. It is not only functional and inspirational, it is ideally well-suited to the environment in which it is built.

UBC Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences

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side porch

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entrance

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pass-through equipment storage

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pass-through equipment storage

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student tent accommodation

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fieldwork samples collection

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learning and dining hall

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learning and dining hall

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learning and dining hall

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teaching wall

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meeting room

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staff cabin

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staff cabin porch

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staff cabin interior

We just wanted to say that we love the Geological Field Station. It meets the functionality we desired with a design that is much better than we ever hoped for.

UBC Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences