Andrea Comande

In 2014, SALA, The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, at the University of British Columbia, began an inquiry regarding the construction of a new architecture school on a site proximate to the existing building. This would become the topic of the 2015 Comprehensive Studio, which focuses on the full realization of a large scale building project. 

In this project, I looked to design a new architecture school, where the boundaries between the school, students, professors, and the public are blurred.

In plan, there are few wall partitions between studios and programs. In section, a re-imagining of the ‘grand staircase’ draws people into and up the building, with various public programs scattered throughout. 

The facade of the building continues this blurring between the exterior and the interior environment, with much of the building heated through a large, facade scale, passive-heating system that utilizes direct sunlight to heat air that is moved throughout.