UBC Properties fast-tracks innovation at UBC for Canada’s future in advanced therapeutics
UBC Properties’ mission is to build innovative spaces at UBC. We have delivered facilities for UBC that support groundbreaking work in technology, medicine, and science shaping the future of Canada and the world, establishing UBC as the globally recognized university it is today.
When the Faculty of Medicine was faced with a narrow window to secure funding for the Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Facility (ATMF), UBC Properties found a way to keep Canada at the forefront of biomanufacturing innovation.
The Faculty of Medicine had been pursuing support for this facility since 2021. The ATMF was initially planned to occupy Technology Enterprise Facility 4 (TEF4), an office building. However, TEF4 was ultimately shelved due to market conditions during COVID-19, making the project’s future uncertain.
Then, in May 2024, the federal government announced major funding through its Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. The funding would total $574 million for 19 projects at 14 research institutions across Canada, including UBC’s own ATMF.
But UBC was faced with a challenge: it had just three weeks to submit a viable facility plan or risk having the funding rescinded.
With TEF 4 no longer viable, the Faculty of Medicine faced the urgent challenge of finding a new location and developing a workable plan. The faculty met with UBC Properties and many stakeholders across UBC to devise a solution. UBC Properties’ proposal was to build the facility on a small parcel of land just north of Gateway, a flagship facility currently under construction at the entrance to UBC.
For this plan to work, the project team needed to collaborate closely and urgently, ensuring that no stone was left unturned. In three weeks, UBC Properties assessed feasibility based on space and budget constraints, partitioned the land, assembled the architectural team and consultants with an accelerated design schedule, created a preliminary floor plan, and worked closely with stakeholders across UBC to align on a development strategy. UBC Properties would own and manage the building, including covering costs for the base building shell, while the Faculty of Medicine would fund the interior fit-out, ensuring a lean and efficient process.
This rapid, yet deliberate planning laid the groundwork for the new six-storey building: The Edge. Levels 1 and 2 will house commercial retail space, including space for a grocery store, providing a much-needed amenity to the campus community, while the upper four floors will be purpose-built lab space tailored to the ATMF and other industry partners’ needs.
Led by Dr. Megan Levings, Professor at UBC Department of Surgery and School of Biomedical Engineering, the ATMF will be a groundbreaking addition to UBC’s research infrastructure and to Canada’s therapeutic manufacturing capacity. Her team’s research focuses on cell-based therapies that harness the cell’s natural systems to provide a more targeted cure for diseases.
“This facility is going to be transformational,” says Dr. Levings. “It allows researchers to take our basic science discoveries and bring them into human testing. We’re working on advanced therapies, including cell therapies and vaccine products, that couldn’t move forward without a facility like this. Once the ATMF is open, we’ll be able to do more clinical studies, treat more patients, and develop a wider range of products. The possibilities are huge.”
Construction of The Edge will begin in late 2025 and is expected to be complete by early 2028.
