Student Housing Expansion
The student housing expansion project will deliver over 500 new beds for upper-year and graduate students in a sustainable, high-density residence on campus. The project supports UVic’s goals for housing affordability, student success, and climate action.
Community engagement is an essential part of campus planning. The second phase of public consultatiron takes place Fall 2025. Get involved through:
- Online Survey - Open from September 23 to October 13
- Open House 1 - Tuesday, September 23 at McPherson Library lobby - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Open House 2 - Thursday, September 25 at Gordon Head Recreation Centre (Multi-Purpose Room) - 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Project Summary
Student housing expansion is a critical project to help meet the growing demand for on-campus student housing at UVic. Currently in the design phase, the project will deliver over 500 new beds in a purpose-built residence tailored for upper-year and graduate students.
The new building will be located on a portion of Parking Lot 5, within the heart of the residence precinct, and will support student success, sustainability goals, and campus vitality.
What's Proposed:
- 510 new student beds (150 studio units and 90 quads)
- Compact design to preserve green space and minimize site impacts
- Pedestrian and cycling connections to campus and Cadboro Bay
- Enhanced outdoor spaces, seating areas and bike parking
- Sustainable building design targeting LEED Gold certification
- Located within 400m of the UVic Transit Exchange
To learn more, Project Information Boards will be posted on September 23rd.
Project Timeline
This project is in the design phase, which is informed by community consultation. The project is targeting a construction start date of Spring 2026 to support occupancy for September 2029.
Phase 1 Engagement
In early 2025, UVic launched Phase 1 engagement to introduce the student housing expansion project to the campus and surrounding community. Through open houses, pop-up events, and an online survey, over 300 students, staff, and neighbours shared their feedback on the proposed site, building concept, and project goals.
The engagement highlighted strong support for increasing on-campus housing and prioritizing a compact, sustainable design that preserves green space and supports active transportation.
Read the What We Heard Report here.
For further information on the project contact Campus Planning and Sustainability at planning@uvic.ca