We're Building Homes for NIC Students

September 19, 2023

We’ve had some excellent questions regarding how various trades can get involved in NIC’s Student Housing Commons project.

Here’s a bit about the process so far:

NIC selected a Design-Builder following a public procurement process which ran from March–October 2022. “Design-Build” is a construction method that uses a central firm to design, engineer, and build a project. This method was the best option for NIC given the size and timeframe on this project as it supports efficiency and continuity between the phases of design and construction.

Urban One is the Design-Builder for the Housing Commons project.

Any interested trades people looking to work on this project can review open positions and submit a resume at https://urbanonebuilders.com/careers/.

Companies looking to join the NIC build team can contact Jag Gill, Senior Estimator, at jgill@urbanonebuilders.com

Thanks to our community for your continued support and enthusiasm for NIC’s Student Housing Commons project, where we’re building homes for students!

We are excited to announce that work begins on the NIC Student Housing Commons at the Comox Valley Campus.

The first construction phase includes new fencing being installed to prepare the site for safe construction. The fencing will remove the walking pathway between NIC and the Comox Valley Regional District Aquatic Centre, as well as the wide walkway along College Road near the build site. We recommend using new routes on the Comox Valley campus and have developed a digital resource: nic.bc.ca/walks. Additional routes can be added, so please contact communications@nic.bc.ca to suggest any new routes.

Occasional traffic control will be at the site on College Road and may cause slight delays.

A section of Parking Lot B, which is located nearest Ryan Road, will be designated for construction site use (see the area marked in grey and yellow in the image). Over the summer additional parking was added to the campus, and we recommend using Parking Lot A.

With the especially dry conditions this year, dust is expected during the construction, so please know that the design build team will implement strategies to mitigate the dust.

Construction for the new NIC Student Housing Commons is scheduled to begin in August.

The project received a variance permit from the City of Courtenay in May. The request was to vary the allowable maximum height by just over four metres to accommodate architectural roof design features on the ends of the buildings and an increased ceiling height to accommodate meeting spaces and college community uses.

A building permit was submitted in early June, and the City requested the project be resubmitted as two building permits—one for the student housing portion of the project and one for the family housing.

The Design-Build team also took feedback from consultation meetings in early May to prepare for a user consultation meeting in July.

The $77.2 Million Student Housing Commons is on track for a September 2025 opening, when the site will be home to 217 students and their families.

We expect logs from the NIC housing site to be moved as early as Wednesday, March 15, with trucks on roads throughout the day.

This important step will see logs donated to K'ómoks First Nation, with some logs shared with NIC trades programs and the Comox Valley School District.

While plans can change quickly, you should expect traffic delays on College Campus Road on Wednesday, and perhaps later in the week if work schedules change.

For more information, email communications@nic.bc.ca.

Thank you for your patience during a very busy Friday, last week, as crews worked to clear the site of future student housing before bird nesting season begins.

All the trees that needed to be cleared to build homes for students at the Comox Valley campus have now been harvested. Any trees you see standing, are not scheduled to be removed.

The logs will remain on site, with the fencing in place, for approximately two weeks. They’re waiting for the timber mark which is required before they can be transported. The logs will be given to the K'ómoks First Nation, and any that they choose not to use will then be donated to the trades programs at NIC and the Comox Valley School District.

WHAT’S NEXT

• Mulching: The design-build contractor will be bringing in a chipper to mulch the remaining brush, and spread it across the roots of remaining trees
• Fencing: The temporary fence will remain in place until the logs are removed and the site is deemed safe. Please stay out of the area, for your own safety.
• Construction: More permanent fencing will be put in place, when the construction stages begin during the late summer.

HOW DO I LEARN MORE?

To see a full timeline of the construction process, ask questions or learn more about homes for students, visit engage.nic.bc.ca/housing-commons.

Starting early Friday, February 17, our contractor will begin removing trees from the site of the NIC Housing Commons.

While work schedules can change quickly and timelines can shift, we expect the work to take place over the long weekend, with the majority of tree removal taking place on Friday and Saturday.

This weekend, you can expect to see the following changes:

• Work crews: You’ll see tree-falling equipment, arborists and work crews on site.
• Traffic: Vehicle traffic on College Campus Road near the Aquatic Centre may be affected temporarily to be sure crews can safely cut and remove the trees without damage to passing vehicles.
• Walking: We expect the safety fencing will need to be moved out into the pathway to ensure pedestrian safety, blocking the paved walkway around campus for a short time. If you plan to walk the loop around campus, we ask that you take a detour, up onto Ryan Road and back down through the Aquatic Centre parking lot.
• Noise: The tree removal process is loud, and may disrupt activities closest to the site.
• Parking: Crews may need access to the lot closest to Ryan Road in Lot B. If you are unable to find parking in Lot B, please drive west to Lot A where there are usually spaces available, even during peak periods. Please save the Aquatic Centre parking lot for their patrons only.

WHY NOW?

• Bird nesting season: We are required to remove the trees before bird nesting season officially begins in March.
• Less activity on campus: The timing of tree removal over the weekend will mean fewer interruptions for most NIC classes as well as the Beaufort Children’s Centre on campus.

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Donation: The trees will be stacked and removed from the site as part of a donation to the K’ómoks First Nation. Some timber will also be made available to NIC Trades Training and the Comox Valley School District for educational purposes.
• Walking routes: In the coming months, you’ll see walking NIC path markers that indicate alternative walking routes both here, at the Comox Valley campus, and in Campbell River.
• Remaining Trees: After the removal, the Comox Valley campus will have 2,200 trees remaining on the campus.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?

If you have a question about the project or its timelines, please email HousingCommons@nic.bc.ca.

Our contractor is preparing for tree removal and next steps for Student Housing. While the Public Affairs and Communications Team is committed to letting you know about the work being done as soon as possible before it happens, work schedules can change quickly and timelines may shift.

In the coming days, you can expect to see the following changes on site:

• Equipment: As of tomorrow, you can expect to see tree-falling equipment arrive, arborists and tree removal crews on site to plan the removal of trees before bird nesting season officially starts in March. We expect the work to take place anywhere from a few days, to as long as two weeks.
• Traffic: The contractor was able to install safety fencing without disrupting walking routes and vehicle traffic. However, when trees are removed, the work will impact pedestrian and vehicle traffic on College Campus Road near the Aquatic Centre. For your own safety, you may be asked to wait, temporarily, until it is safe to pass.
• Noise: The tree removal process is loud, and may disrupt activities closest to the site.

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Donation: The trees will be removed from the site as part of a donation to the K’ómoks First Nation. Some of the timber may also be made available to NIC Trades Training and the Comox Valley School District, for educational purposes.
• Walking routes: In the coming months, you’ll see walking NIC path markers that indicate alternative walking routes both here, at the Comox Valley campus, and in Campbell River.
• Remaining Trees: After the removal, the Comox Valley campus will have 2,200 trees remaining on the campus.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?

If you have a question about the project, please email HousingCommons@nic.bc.ca.

Starting this week, safety fencing will go up at the NIC Student Housing Commons site as we prepare to make way for homes for students on campus.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• Parking: The small parking lot nearest Ryan Road will be unavailable starting on Tuesday, Feb. 7. This will see the removal of 22 parking spots on campus. Plans are in place to replace the spaces this summer. But, for the time being, there is still plenty of parking on campus. If Lot B is full, please explore Lot A on the west side of campus, which usually has empty spaces available – even during peak periods. Please save the Aquatic Centre parking for their patrons only.
• Walking: If you regularly walk the paved loop around campus, you will need to take a detour! The paved path in front of student housing will be blocked for the safety of pedestrians and we ask that you take a detour, up onto Ryan Road and back down through the Aquatic Centre parking lot. Safety signs will be posted on-site to alert path users.
• Vehicle traffic: For your safety, there may be short times where traffic may be affected on College Campus Road (the ring road). The delays will be brief but it might be best to plan to arrive a few minutes early, to get to your class or desk on time.

WHAT’S NEXT?

• Tree removal: Unfortunately, we can’t build student housing without taking down some trees. Thankfully, we’ll still have 2,200 trees remaining on the Comox Valley campus, after the trees come down!
  We are required to remove the trees before bird nesting season begins in March. Since, the K’ómoks First Nation has first right of refusal for the felled trees, you may see representatives of the design-build contractor, the K’ómoks First Nation, NIC Trades programs or Comox Valley Schools on site as we work together to ensure the felled trees go to a good use.
• Walking routes: In the coming months, you’ll see walking NIC path markers that indicate alternative walking routes both here, at the Comox Valley campus, and in Campbell River.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?

• Engage.nic.bc.ca: All updates will also be posted on this public site. If you have a question about the project, please reach out: HousingCommons@nic.bc.ca.

The K’ómoks First Nation, North Island College (NIC) and guests gathered at the Comox Valley campus Friday, Jan. 6 to bless the site of two new student housing buildings at NIC.

The blessing is an important step that ensures the project enters the site preparation and construction phase respectfully.

Blessing Event media release

Backgrounder to the NIC site blessing event from Jan. 6, 2023 at the Comox Valley campus

K’ómoks First Nation Statement

The K’ómoks First Nation has worked with North Island College to ensure that the new student housing provides the comfort of home with a sense of belonging. The housing is not only a place of learning but more of a community of family and friends.

Students will be able to learn without having the issues of housing and transportation as they will be situated on campus and within walking distance to classes and other nearby amenities. The student housing will have many Indigenous features in and around the buildings that will honour medicines, cultural and social events. K’ómoks First Nation, NIC and the architects have worked collaboratively and looked at every aspect and detail of the Indigenous design, and we are very appreciative of this initiative. K’ómoks First Nation is proud to invite students to our traditional territories to live and learn in such a wonderful community. We hope that this brings opportunity for everyone to learn our K’ómoks culture.

Student Housing Commons at NIC

The Student Housing Commons will result in 217 beds for students, including those with families.

The project is much more than an apartment complex, with common spaces throughout the site. It will be an inclusive, accessible, Indigenized, welcoming space for all students—a living-learning community designed to make all students, including those with families, feel connected.

Suites will be available in a variety of layouts, including quad, single and nano suites. The family building will be made up of 20 two-bedroom apartments. Students will be able to stay for a variety of tenures, to support the full range of trades, university transfer, health, human services, business, fine arts and digital design students at NIC.

Indigenization

The Student Housing Commons supports NIC’s commitment to Indigenous-led education and training and NIC’s responsibilities to reconciliation. The partnership with the K’ómoks First Nation on the design, use, artwork and elements of the building is aimed at making every student feel welcomed.

Examples of designs include:

• A Gathering Place inspired by traditional Big Houses with wooden benches, copper meshing and cedar slats.

• The Knowledge Bridge is a mass timber structure that connects two residential buildings. The different levels are inspired by the three stages of traditional K’ómoks First Nation ceremonies.

• There will be numerous interior and exterior locations for Indigenous artwork.

• The project will incorporate the use of natural light and a colour scheme based on the K’ómoks First Nation Developer Guide, written by researcher Devon Miller.

As part of NIC’s commitment to Indigenous students and communities, the College will provide priority entry for Indigenous students who apply by the application dates.

Any trees that need to be removed from the site during the site preparation will be offered first to the K’ómoks First Nation Elders, with the remaining trees used for NIC and school district trades training programs.

Accessibility

The project design also achieves Rick Hansen certification by including elements such as power-operated door hardware, accessibility heights and clearance for lighting controls, kitchen space and appliances and bathroom space. Exterior patios are also low threshold and accessible to all occupants.

There will be 11 accessible units, and at least one unit of each type (family, studio and quad) is designed as accessible. Most are located on the ground floor, with others on each floor to ensure inclusivity for all populations.

Design-Build Procurement model

The project’s Design-Build procurement model means the lead proponent oversees design, engineering and construction, though they will involve partners and sub-contract some work. The proponent also assumes any cost risks associated with the project.

Urban One Builders and HDR

Urban One and HDR presented an outstanding proposal that met or exceeded NIC’s stated requirements.

About Urban One

Urban One is a full-service construction company focused on large-scale, mixed-use and institutional projects. Founded in 2011, the company’s focus from the outset was to deliver a global standard in construction. Urban One quickly established itself as leaders in the industry with landmark projects covering a range of development types. In 2020 and 2021, Urban One ranked 6th on Business in Vancouver’s list of Biggest Construction Companies in BC with approximately $400 million in construction volume for the year.

Urban One’s pioneering work in Mass Timber construction, combined with extensive experience with post-secondary institutional projects that make them the ideal partner for the NIC student housing project. Their ability to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of sustainable construction is showcased in the 18-storey, UBC Brock Commons, the tallest Mass Timber tower in the world at the time of completion. They continue building on our pioneering work with Mass Timber projects like UBC Gateway and Canada Earth Tower.

Other project partners have also worked on student housing in BC, including Structural Engineer Read Jones Christofferson Ltd. (Quest University, UBC, UBCO), and Mechanical Engineer AME Group (UBC, UBCO, SFU, Royal Roads, St. Michael’s University School).

About HDR

For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 11,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world—and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future. For more information, please visit www.hdrinc.com/ca.