University of Victoria Student Housing and Dining

Victoria, BC
uni-victoria
Enclosure Climate Resilience education first nations indigenous Mass Timber
  • Client University of Victoria
  • Size 330,000 sf
  • Completion Date 2023
  • Services Provided Building Enclosure Consulting, Energy & Climate Services
  • Market Sector Higher-ed, Residential - Student Housing
  • Architect Perkins&Will
  • Photography Michael Elkan
To expand affordable student housing and advance its net-zero goals, the University of Victoria developed a $201 million housing and dining complex designed to meet Passive House and LEED Gold standards.

The two mass timber buildings—Cheko’nien House and Sngeque House—add 783 beds and include classrooms, dining facilities, and Indigenous student support spaces.

RDH provided Passive House consulting, building enclosure consulting, and airtightness testing, supporting the project from schematic design through construction. We helped define performance targets early in the process and guided key decisions around thermal control, durability, constructability, and energy use. Both buildings exceeded Passive House airtightness thresholds, supported by RDH’s field testing, mock-up review, and quality assurance.

The project includes one of the world’s largest Passive House-certified commercial kitchens. RDH led research and technical design to optimize the layout, select high-efficiency equipment, and integrate heat recovery systems.

All-electric mechanical systems were designed for future climate conditions, contributing to long-term decarbonization.

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