WSP to help build Royal BC Museum’s Collections and Research Building
April 17, 2023
By CCE
It is expected to open in 2026.
Image courtesy WSP.
WSP will provide engineering, building and environmental services for development of the Royal BC Museum’s (RBCM‘s) new Collections and Research Building (CRB) in Colwood, B.C, southwest of Victoria.
Specifically, the firm will provide mechanical, electrical and civil engineering services; lighting, audiovisual (A/V) and security design; and carbon modelling, energy management and ecology services.
The new 15,200-m2 facility, located on Lekwungen Territory, will be the new home for the province’s collections, the BC Archives and the RBCM’s research departments. The mass timber building will include learning spaces and labs, with the goal of making its collections of more than seven million artifacts more accessible. Its design, by Michael Green Architecture (MGA), will reflect Indigenous cultural connections to the land and territory.
“The new building will create a resilient environment for those pieces not on display at the museum,” explains Doug Redmond, WSP’s vice-president (VP) of buildings. “Our team is excited to create this dynamic home for important pieces of British Columbia’s history.”
The provincial government awarded a $204.8-million contract to Maple Reinders to design and build the facility. Construction is expected to begin this summer, so the CRB can open to the public in the summer of 2026.
