Construction of a new $122.65-million campus for Emily Carr University of Art and Design is nearly 50% complete.

The new campus will allow the university to meet increased student demand, accommodate current and emerging program areas, and build on its reputation as a leader in developing world-class creators.

“Construction of the new Emily Carr university campus is making great progress,” said Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson during a hard-hat visit to the construction site. “The completed campus will incorporate design features that reflect the vision of the university as a learning community devoted to excellence and innovation in visual arts, media arts and design.”

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The new campus will provide students, faculty and staff with modern, spacious facilities that will continue to attract domestic and international students. The unique design features include illuminated signage that will profile public programming hosted by the university and brightly lit outdoor spaces. A key feature of the atriums is their extensive use of glass in the academic commons and library areas.

"Emily Carr University’s new campus is nearly 50% complete,” said Emily Carr University of Art and Design president and vice-chancellor Ron Burnett. “This new cultural and educational hub will transform the False Creek flats into a cultural, social and educational centre for Vancouver and B.C.”

The new campus is designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification and will comply with the Wood First Act. The act requires the use of wood as the primary building material in all new provincially-funded buildings. The act supports the Wood First Initiative launched by the provincial government that promotes the use of wood products.

Construction completion is scheduled for spring 2017 and it is anticipated that the first semester in the new campus will begin September 2017.

The Great Northern Way Campus is a 7.28-hectare (18-acre) site on the False Creek flats, which is owned and developed jointly by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, B.C. Institute of Technology and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. The new Emily Carr university campus will continue and accelerate the growth of the Great Northern Way Campus into a high-profile district for the digital and creative sectors in Vancouver.

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The new Emily Carr university campus will create an estimated 1,000 jobs during construction. It is anticipated that students will attend classes on the campus by fall 2017.

The capital cost of the project is budgeted at up to $122.65 million, including a provincial investment of up to $101.65 million, with $21 million to be raised through the university’s capital campaign.

As part of Budget 2016, government is directly investing $942 million in planned capital expenses in the post-secondary sector over the next three years (2016-17 to 2018-19).

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Quick Facts:

• Emily Carr University of Art and Design was founded as the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts in 1925.
• The university is the only specialized public post-secondary institution in B.C. offering programs in visual arts, media arts and design exclusively – one of only four such institutions in Canada.
• It is recognized nationally and internationally for the excellence of its faculty, students and alumni.

Learn More:

Wood First Act and Initiative: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/supporting-innovation/wood-first-initiative

Emily Carr University of Art and Design: http://www.ecuad.ca/

Emily Carr Great Northern Way campus: http://thebigidea.ecuad.ca/about/gnw-campus/