After years of being known for poor law school facilities, the University of British Columbia (UBC) officially opens a long-awaited new law school building today,
The university’s $56 million Allard Hall – Canada’s first new university law school building in 30 years – was financed largely from the local legal community and UBC law school alumni, who donated nearly $35 million.
UBC officials describe that financing as the most successful private fundraising campaign in Canadian law school history.
Part of the motivation to build the structure was to shed the reputation for having the worst law school facilities in Canada. (See “UBC claims last place among Canadian law schools” – issue 824; August 9-15, 2005.)
A Canadian Lawyer magazine survey of recent law grads in 2005 gave UBC's law school the worst marks in the country for its facilities.
That dismal C- grade brought the law school's overall score down enough for UBC law school to rank last on the list of 13 schools. The University of Victoria's law school then ranked first overall and obtained a B+ grade for its facilities.
Students who spoke to Business in Vancouver at the time referred to the George F. Curtis building variously as “dungeony,” “a prison” and “embarrassing.”
UBC Properties Trust CEO Al Poettcker told BIV after the Canadian Lawyer survey had made the rounds that a plan for a new law school building was in the early stages.
The new Allard building has a geo-exchange heating and cooling system that will reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of the building by 87%, compared with a conventional gas-fired system.
The classrooms have video displays and webcasting capabilities and a replica courtroom.
The facility will also have a First Nations student lounge as a way to reflect UBC’s commitment to First Nations people.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom