Construction has started on a new BCIT Health Sciences Centre, which will be one of the largest centres in Canada for health simulation training, replicating a variety of hospital and laboratory settings. It’s also the largest addition to the BCIT Burnaby campus since the 1990s.
The new centre will consolidate a number of BCIT’s health sciences programs, including nursing, cardiology, sonography, pediatric, and nuclear medicine. The four-storey building with 107,000 sq. ft. of total floor area will provide flexible and innovative learning spaces for about 7,000 full-time and part-time students.
As a net-zero carbon emission building with a WELL Gold certification, it will be the most sustainable building at the campus upon completion by late 2021. An underground level will provide 60 vehicle parking stalls, all outfitted with electric-battery vehicle charging stations.
The demand for healthcare professionals in the province continues to be high, with labour market forecasts indicating 82,000 job openings by 2028.