The School of Public Policy and Global Affairs stretches across two buildings, the Liu Institute for Global Issues and the C.K. Choi, in the northwest corner of UBC’s Vancouver campus.
The school benefits from buildings that offer both offices and convening spaces ideally suited to a diversity of functions including research, teaching, meetings, and events.
The C. K. Choi Building
1855 West Mall
Located on the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus, the C. K. Choi building is home to the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA). Designed by Matsuzaki Wright Architects, the building and adjoining plaza are replete with architectural symbols of Asian culture.
The building’s address, which houses SPPGA’s main reception, is 1855 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2.
The C. K. Choi building was inaugurated in 1996 and immediately recognized as a benchmark in sustainable design, earning the Building Owners and Managers Association of BC’s EARTH Award in 1996 and the Lieutenant Governor Innovation Award of Excellence in 1998.
The C. K. Choi building has a conference room and a lounge that are available for use. The building is wheelchair accessible.
Accommodates up to 60 people seated. Other equipment: podium, tables, chairs, built-in screen, sound system, overhead projector, white board, coat rack and Wi-Fi.
Accommodates 100 seated, 130 standing. Other equipment: tables, chairs, whiteboards, coat rack, sink, bar area, fridge, dishwasher and Wi-Fi.
The Liu Institute for Global Issues
6476 NW Marine Drive
The Liu Institute is home to the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and conducts research and seminars in an award-winning space located in a beautiful corner of the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus.
Our address is 6476 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z2.
Designed by Architectura in collaboration with renowned architect Arthur Erickson, the Liu Institute sits at the edge of a lush second-growth forest that provides cooling shade and stunning views. The structure’s design incorporates a number of sustainable features aimed at maximizing use of recycled and salvaged materials, minimizing energy and water consumption, and reducing waste.
The Liu Institute building is available to host both UBC and external conferences, meetings and corporate retreats. The venue offers easy access to UBC’s pedestrian paths and parkades and is wheelchair accessible. There is temporary parking in front of the Liu Institute’s NW Marine Drive entrance. Services include washrooms, an informal lounge, and a kitchen with a fridge, sink and microwave.
Host your next conference, meeting or corporate retreat at the Liu Institute. Discounts are available for UBC staff and faculty.
Located just off the main entrance, this stunning courtyard is enclosed on the north side by a traditional “spirit wall”—a series of freestanding concrete walls that offers privacy and minimizes street noise. A rare and large katsura tree is the focal point of the space, and a bamboo grove frames the building’s entrance.
Located on the south side of the lobby, this open courtyard offers sunlight and treed views. A rock garden and landscaping separates the space from the nearby forest, and a covered breezeway at the south end of the research wing offers access from West Mall.
In addition to functioning as a breakout space for the multipurpose room, lobby and lounge, it’s an excellent venue for special outdoor events and performances in warmer weather.
Size: 150 m2 (1,600 sq ft)
Max occupancy: 106 people
Musqueam First Nations bestowed the name, xʷθəθiqətəm (Place of Many Trees), upon this room in 2018. Please listen to the audio file below to learn the pronunciation:
Opening on to the lobby, this multipurpose room is fully glazed on two sides with forest views. Maple panelling on the north wall conceals coat closets, furniture storage, and a food preparation room with an industrial dishwasher, a fridge, a sink and direct access to a delivery area for caterers.
The xʷθəθiqətəm room has an easy-to-use audiovisual system that includes a built-in projector, drop-down screen, sound system and speakers. Four microphones—one podium mic, one handheld wireless mic and two lapel mics— are also available for use.
Size: 1,017.94 sq. ft. (94.6m2)
Max occupancy: 40 people
Located at the south end of the seminar wing, this tall circular space features maple panelling, tiered seating and a dramatic radial ceiling with 360-degree treetop views. Motorized blinds and dimmer switches offer complete lighting control.
Each seat is equipped with an electrical outlet and Internet access, and the media booth is capable of supporting a wide array of multimedia devices, making the Case Room an excellent venue for conferences, teleconferences, group discussion and multimedia presentations.
Size: 56.8m2 (611 sq ft)
Max occupancy: 20 people
This third-floor boardroom is equipped with a large maple table that can be divided into six smaller tables. Glazed on three sides, the room offers a commanding view of a large cherry tree outside and the forest beyond.
The first-floor Liu Institute lobby offers an open space surrounded by glass and views of the forest beyond the courtyard. In addition to functioning as a catering space for events held in the first floor xʷθəθiqətəm (Place of Many Trees) and Caseroom, the lobby is often used as a venue for receptions and exhibitions related to the Liu Lobby Gallery, a student-led initiative that fosters alternative and artistic forms of dissemination of research on global issues.
