Colwood council got an update on the Royal BC Museum’s Collections and Research Building project recently, and the emphasis being placed on sustainability, public engagement, reconciliation and art drew universal praise.
Museum CEO Alicia Dubois, vice-president of engagement and DRIPA implementation Janet Hanuse, and executive project director with the Transportation Investment Corporation Kim Anderson briefed council on some of the key elements of the project, which they said is set to break ground in the city’s Royal Bay neighbourhood this summer, be largely complete in fall 2025 and open to the public in 2026.
Dubois spent her speaking time emphasizing the broad vision for the $270 million, 15,200-square-metre building, which despite being called a collections and research building will be far more than a simple warehouse for artifacts not yet on display at the museum proper.
“It’s a much more community-centred building, and it is being constructed as such,” said Dubois. “It is going to welcome community members into the space for learning and gathering.”
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She said the building will feature large windows throughout, allowing visitors to watch conservation and research work as it is being carried out. The hallway will form a loop through the building, ensuring easy public access.
It will also feature indoor and outdoor space both for art and artifact exhibitions, and for educational programming.
Anderson touched on the sustainability elements being factored into the building’s design and construction, noting it is one of the first projects for the province where the carbon footprint for the entire project – from the materials used and how they are transported to the build site to how the building is heated and cooled once complete – is being monitored with goals set.
The main structure will be built from mass timber that’s sustainably harvested, while certain exterior walls will be made of rammed earth. This technique uses natural materials like sand, gravel, and clay poured out in layers and compressed to form strong walls at a reduced carbon footprint.
The building will be heated and cooled by electricity, which Anderson said will result in a 60-per-cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditional combination of electric and natural gas heat.
From the beginning of the project, a dedicated Indigenous liaison has been working with local Coast Salish nations to incorporate the culture and ways of knowing and learning into the building’s design.
Consultations with those nations and the general public are also expected to continuing playing a major role as the project progresses, with the museum representatives saying they are considering establishing a committee to advise on how to approach the building’s art installations as an example.
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