The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape will be moving downtown thanks to an innovative partnership between the University of Calgary and the City of Calgary announced on April 11.
The City is investing up to $9 million to convert an underused office tower at 801 Seventh Ave. S.W. into active academic, teaching and research space. This expansion to UCalgary's downtown campus will move SAPL students from main campus and the current City Building Design Lab into a 180,000-square-foot space.
The campus expansion creates 1,200 new student spaces downtown, President Ed McCauley says. Photo Credit: Riley Brandt photos, University of Calgary
"Through this first-of-its-kind investment, the University of Calgary will be able to further grow the local economy by educating the workforce of tomorrow," says Dr. Ed McCauley, PhD, president and vice-chancellor, UCalgary. "This will create 1,200 new student spaces downtown, offering students a unique, real-world learning experience while freeing up 800 vital spaces on campus for in-demand programs. We are grateful to the City of Calgary for this important investment in post-secondary learning."
Breathing new life into downtown Calgary
The City's investment comes from the Downtown Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program, part of the broader Downtown Strategy to increase the overall economic activity, vibrancy and safety in the greater downtown area while also reducing office vacancy.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek shares the vision of the Downtown Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program created by Calgary city council.
"This project is a win-win-win for Calgarians, the University of Calgary, and our downtown community," says Mayor Jyoti Gondek. "When council created the Post-Secondary Institution Incentive Program, we imagined a project just like this: something that transforms underused office space into a vibrant campus that deepens the connections between learning and business to ignite innovation and job creation."
The renovated building will convert vacant office space into a dynamic educational hub, located next to the Eighth Street LRT station, an active transportation corridor, Century Gardens Park and housing. The project is one of several current City of Calgary initiatives to strengthen the west end of downtown. This project's proximity to UCalgary's existing downtown campus which houses the School of Public Policy and Continuing Education program across the street at Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street will help grow a vibrant campus atmosphere in the downtown west end.
Dean John Brown describes the dynamic urban context for learning created by the new location.
A living laboratory for students
The move downtown provides a unique opportunity for architecture, planning and landscape students to apply their knowledge in a practical, hands-on urban setting close to the industry in which they will one day work.
"This relocation and expansion downtown will enrich the educational journey of our students, providing a dynamic urban context for learning within the fabric of the city," says Dr. John Brown, PhD, dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. "Being immersed in the heart of the city is important because it provides more opportunities for our students and researchers to work with our professional community, the City, and others on collaborative projects."
The site will also feature a permanent exhibit of the original documentation for the design of the tower, provided by the original architect, Fred Valentine. A short historical brochure of the building will also reside on SAPL's website.
The move downtown will begin once renovations are complete in 2026. Once SAPL relocates, 65,000 square feet of teaching and learning space will be available on main campus to help address UCalgary's growing student enrolment pressures in other in-demand programs.
The project will convert the office tower at 801 Seventh Ave. S.W. into active academic, teaching and research space.
