October 22, 2025
The University of British Columbia’s Gordon B. Shrum Building, home to the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME), has earned Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) for its inclusive approach to research, teaching, and collaboration spaces. Led by Patkau Architects, with Architecture49 responsible for the laboratory design, the facility includes laboratories, classrooms, offices, and shared research areas that accommodate hundreds of students, faculty, and researchers each day, making accessibility and usability a top priority.
The building supports a wide range of activities, from hands-on experiments in tissue engineering, medical imaging, robotics, and biomaterials to collaborative design projects and interdisciplinary workshops. These spaces foster innovation, research, and learning across the biomedical engineering community.
A guiding principle behind the Shrum Building’s design was to reach new heights in inclusivity. Pursuing RHFAC certification from the outset allowed the team to focus on accessibility and inclusion in every design decision. To achieve certification, the building was evaluated across mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive dimensions, going beyond code compliance to assess entrances, circulation, signage, washrooms, emergency systems, and other key features.
Within the Shrum Building, the laboratory spaces embody this commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Universal design principles ensure these environments go beyond mandated building codes such as CSA/ASC B652:23. The Rick Hansen Foundation’s draft “Accessibility Design Guidelines for Laboratories” provided further strategies to support full participation of people with disabilities, addressing physical, sensory, and cognitive needs. Key areas considered included accessible routes, doors, signage, controls, furniture, fume hoods, sinks, emergency stations, lighting, acoustics, and emergency systems.
Building on these principles, the labs set a new benchmark for inclusive, flexible, and high-performance research and teaching environments. Traditional laboratories have often lacked the adaptability to support all users. Features such as height-adjustable workstations, clear floor space for the maneuverability of wheelchairs and mobility devices, accessible equipment placement, and low-force controls make the spaces more usable for everyone. Visual and auditory emergency systems further enhance safety for all occupants.
Located on the upper floors to take advantage of optimal daylight conditions, the laboratories are designed for full participation. Adaptable layouts and modular casework systems allow the spaces to evolve with changing research needs, ensuring accessibility and usability remain integral to their long-term function.
Accessibility in the built environment is essential for equity, innovation, and wellbeing. The Gordon B. Shrum Building demonstrates how thoughtful design can empower everyone from students, to faculty, researchers, and visitors, to engage fully in academic life. Its RHFAC certification is not only a milestone for UBC but also a model for inclusive design across Canada.