Steel Project Case Study Gallery: BCIT British Columbia Institute of Technology, Main Stair, Vancouver

Terri Meyer Boake BES BArch MArch LEED AP
Associate Professor :: Associate Director :: School of Architecture :: University of Waterloo

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
Downtown Campus, Main Stari

Architectura with George Third & Son

Vancouver, B.C.

Project Information:

Information taken from www.architectura.ca

This project represents a partnership between the publicly-funded education sector and the private sector business community. The building design is centered around large floor plates containing state-of-the-art classroom design, library facilities, and teaching support spaces and laboratories. The exterior design, comprised primarily of glass, is designed to enhance natural light into teaching spaces, as well as provide effective solar control. The building identity is visually open to express technology, and is an icon for BCIT in downtown Vancouver.

Size: 168,000 Sq Ft
Date: 1997
Value: $24,000,000

The design and construction of the main staircase at BCIT was a joint effort between Architectura and George Third & Son, who fabricated the highly complex steel for this unique stair. The structure of the stair is made from mainly HSS sections and is hung from the truss at the upper floor -- so that it appears to float above the lobby at the main level.

Project Images:


Front elevation of building on Seymour Street. The stair can be seen as it projects out from the front glazed wall of the building.	Detailed view of stair enclosure.


View from lobby looking up open space between the steel stair at right and the concrete structure at left.	View from mid level looking at underside of curved staircase.


View looking north east onto Seymour Street.	View looking down through multi-height opening between curved stair, balconies and lobby below.


Top level of stair case. HSS stucture supports skylight glazing.	View to top floor of building from stair landing.


Detailed view of stair and diagonal HSS bracing that us used to stabilize this highly glazed portion of the building.	View down staircase.

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These images are for educational use only and may not be reproduced commercially without written permission. tboake@sympatico.ca

Updated September 25, 2005