UBC Reports | Vol. 47 | No. 12 | August 9, 2001

UBC at Robson Square campus taking shape

Commerce Prof. Stanley Hamilton heads a team working to make Robson Square a reality

In his 33 years on campus, Commerce and Business Administration Prof. Stanley Hamilton has worn many hats. But lately, the one he wears most often is a hard hat.

As chair of the UBC at Robson Square transition team, Hamilton can often be found, blueprints in hand, in the midst of the renovations to the 6,000 square metres that are to become UBC's new downtown campus this fall.

But designs, drawings and drywall aren't the only thing on his mind. Programs need to be constructed too.

"We are working on a wide range of programs designed specifically to meet the needs and interests of the downtown community," says Hamilton.

He quickly lists a dozen or so topics -- art appreciation, history, and health and wellness to name a few -- that will be the focus of seminars, public lectures, exhibits and forums when the campus opens this fall.

Classroom courses are also being planned in e-business, information technology, public policy, architecture, landscape architecture and interdisciplinary themes such as entrepreneurship and the arts.

"The work we're doing includes a great deal of consultation with community partners to identify innovative ways to showcase the outstanding research resources of UBC," says Hamilton between a seemingly endless schedule of meetings, including those with designer Sally Emmerson and other members of the transition team.

With the design work and demolition now complete, construction has begun on classrooms, computer labs, meeting and seminar rooms, an information centre and offices.

The major renovations, which also include improvements to the existing 140-seat theatre and provisions for satellite outlets of the library and UBC Bookstore, are targeted for completion by the end of September.

A faculty member since 1968 and an associate dean since 1975, Hamilton stepped down as senior associate dean last June to head the transition team and oversee the construction of UBC at Robson Square.

Other members of the transition team include Al Poettcker, president and CEO of UBC Properties Trust; Jane Hutton, associate vice-president, Continuing Studies; Derek Atkins, associate vice-president, Academic Planning; Dana Merritt, director, Budget Office and Doug McArthur, senior fellow in Public Policy in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic.