University of British Columbia
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 14 student research projects related to Air and Climate. Completed projects include:
• Climate Food Action Project
• Electronic Signage API Design for the Ion Energy Data Base
• Evaluating Laptop Computers Using a Triple Bottom Line Assessment
• Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Options - Blankets
• Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Options - Heaters
• Less-Meat Campus Strategy
• Scaling-Up On-Site Composting in the Student Union Building
• Sustainable Eggs on Campus
• The Loop Café
• The Effect of Environmental Changes on the Photosynthesis and Transpiration of Rates of Evergreen and Deciduous Trees During the Winter Period
• UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Media Wall
• UBC Farm: Producing Fuelstock to Create Energy and Reduce GHG Emissions
• UBC Organic Waste Management Option Analysis
• UBC Organic Waste Management Options – Organic Bins

Key outcomes ranged from improving access to energy management data, reducing emissions from grounds equipment, to the investigation of campus-sourced alternative fuels for use in the campus district energy centre.

In addition to the projects listed above, Faculty of Applied Science (Chemical/Biological Engineering) supervised a tar reduction project by a graduate student and a postdoctoral fellow at UBC’s Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 2 student research projects related to Buildings. Completed projects include:
• Life Cycle Assessment on Campus Buildings
• UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Media Wall: Life Cycle Assessment

Key outcomes ranged from generating information on optimizing building performance, Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of 23 campus buildings, and data that will inform design and procurement decisions for future building projects.

In addition to projects completed through the SEEDS Program, several CLL projects are underway at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), UBC’s first LEED Platinum certified building. Designed to promote research and innovation in sustainability, some of the ongoing research at CIRS measures continuous optimization of regenerative/net-zero building systems and how the indoor environment impacts behaviour, human health, and happiness. More information about current CIRS living laboratory research initiatives is available online at: http://cirs.ubc.ca/research.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 25 student research projects related to Dining Services/Food. Completed projects include:
• AMS Community Kitchen
• AMS Food and Beverage: Optimal Modes of Campus Food Delivery
• Campus Well-Being - Defining Health
• Climate Food Action Project
• Energy Subsystem Design of AMS Sustainable Food Truck
• Farm to Campus Health Care
• Food Skills Development on Campus
• Healthy Options in Vending Machines on Campus
• Hungry Nomad Food Truck
• Integrating Vermicomposting into AMS SUB Operations - Phase 3
• Less-Meat Campus Strategy
• Local Food Procurement on Campus
• Marketing Plan - Happy Planet
• Re-establishing the Volunteer, Intern and Community Honey Bee Engagement Program at UBC Farm
• Scaling-Up On-Site Composting in the Student Union Building ~UBC Vancouver
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on Campus: Sustainable Food Procurement
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on Campus: Sustainable Food Materials & Waste Procedures
• Sustainable Catering – Optimizing Drop-off models
• Sustainable Eggs on Campus
• The Loop Café
• Towards A Culturally Appropriate UBC Food System
• UBC Catering Waste Reduction
• UBC Farm Waste Management Plan
• UBC Farm: Impact Assessment of Current Methods for Produce Storage and Transportation
• UBC Food Services Pre-Consumer Waste Management

The UBC Food Systems Project (UBCFSP) (http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/food/ubc-food-system-project) is a collaborative, cross-campus SEEDS project initiative that brings together partners in academics, operations, and research to collectively advance UBC’s food system sustainability. Campus food system priorities are identified annually through a UBC Food Systems Project Committee. Key project outcomes include a campus SEEDS Food Action Planning document, UBC Sustainable Campus Food Guide, and ongoing research projects aimed to increase the sustainability of all aspects of UBC’s food system from production, processing, distribution, consumption to waste.

Key project outcomes included the establishment of new food system targets for the AMS Lighter Footprint Strategy, energy modelling to develop the most sustainable food truck, and increasing healthy and sustainable food options on campus.

Other key outcomes in 2013/14 was a 3-year partnership formed with SEEDS and the UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm on the “Scaling Up: Bringing Local to a Global Campus” institutional food procurement project. Leveraging its experience as a working farm on an urban campus, the Centre’s Farm-to-Institution Programs develops lessons and dissemination material that equip growers, suppliers, and institutions to initiate farm-to-institution partnerships, thereby directly helping the development of policies and practices to increase local, sustainable food procurement. Additionally, the Centre is engaged in developing a pioneering farm-to-healthcare local food procurement model, bringing local, sustainable, healthy food to UBC Hospital patients.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 17 student research projects related to Energy. Completed projects include:
• Athletic Facilities: Water and Energy Sustainability Leadership
• Electronic Signage API Design for the Ion Energy Data Base
• Energy Profiling for Demand Side Management using the CISCO Energywise Product
• Energy Subsystem Design of AMS Sustainable Food Truck
• EV Impact Assessment on Electrical Grid Infrastructure
• Evaluating Laptop Computers Using a Triple Bottom Line Assessment
• Evaluation of Energy and Water Performance of LEED Building(s) at UBC
• Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Options - Blankets
• Evaluation of Thermal Comfort Options - Heaters
• Exploring the Feasibility of Introducing First Sustainable Carwash on the UBC Campus
• Glazing in Residential High Rise Buildings: A Balance Between Energy Savings and the Optimum Daylight
• Peak Demand Response and Demand Reduction Opportunities for Laboratory Operations
• Project Gryphon: LCA of Electric vs. Gas-Fuelled Landscape Equipment
• The Loop Café
• UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Media Wall
• UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Media Wall: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Waste Station Stream Tracking System in the New SUB

The reports provided UBC operational staff with recommendations and data required to reduce energy usage in many forms. Many of these projects included an LCA of existing products and made recommendations that will guide future procurement decisions. Key outcomes ranged from identification of strategies to reduce campus peak energy demand in research laboratories to the identification and testing of alternatives to personal heaters in offices.

In addition to the projects listed above, several CLL projects were completed through the Faculty of Applied Science. Electrical and Computer Engineering supervised several projects, including a Power over Ethernet (PoE) project conducted with Students Without Borders to facilitate structural and environmental monitoring of UBC’s Tall Wood building and projects in a DC Power lab enabling energy management using storage. Chemical/Biological Engineering graduate students (CHBE 573) mentored undergraduates in CIVIL 202 as they designed and implemented sustainability projects on campus.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 6 student research projects related to Grounds. Completed projects include:
• Botanical Garden Four Corners Project - Conceptual Design
• Hogweed Control in Botany Teaching Garden
• Project Gryphon: LCA of Electric vs. Gas-Fuelled Landscape Equipment
• Re-establishing the Volunteer, Intern and Community Honey Bee Engagement Program at UBC Farm
• Sustainable Sites Initiative Criteria and UBC
• The Effect of Environmental Changes on the Photosynthesis and Transpiration of Rates of Evergreen and Deciduous Trees During the Winter Period - Phase 4

Key outcomes ranged from sustainability assessment of landscape equipment, to furthering storm water management and sustainable infrastructure design at the UBC Botanical Gardens, conducting a first sustainability assessment of campus landscapes with SITES criteria, and engaging the community to reinvigorate the bee population at the UBC Farm.

In addition to projects completed through the SEEDS Program, several engagements are ongoing through UBC’s Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm. The Building Biodiversity at the Urban Edge program (http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/2014/10/15/eco-action-building-biodiversity-at-the-ubc-farm/) assesses biodiversity and habitat restoration over a landscape used for agricultural production, community programming and research, teaching and learning. With particular attention given to native pollinators and traditional medicinal plants, the program explores ways of increasing the ecological function of the UBC Farm while providing opportunities for engagement and education.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 19 student research projects related to Purchasing. Completed projects include:
• Evaluating Laptop Computers Using a Triple Bottom Line Assessment
• Evaluation of Health Product Declarations (HPD’s) for UBC Campus Building Projects
• Exploring the Feasibility of Introducing First Sustainable Carwash on the UBC Campus
• Farm to Campus Health Care
• Healthy Options in Vending Machines on Campus
• Hungry Nomad Food Truck
• Less-Meat Campus Strategy
• Marketing Plan - Happy Planet
• Sustainable Eggs on Campus
• Tap Water Declaration Campaign - Campus Fountains
• The Loop Café
• The Use of Social Life Cycle Assessment to Inform UBC’s Purchasing and Investment Decisions
• Triple Bottom Line Analysis of Remanufactured Toner Cartridges vs. OEM Cartridges
• UBC Catering Waste Reduction
• UBC Farm: Impact Assessment of Current Methods for Produce Storage and Transportation
• UBC Food Services Pre-Consumer Waste Management
• UBC Residence: Green Laundry Products
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on Campus: Sustainable Food Materials & Waste Procedures
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on Campus: Sustainable Food Procurement

The reports provided UBC operational staff with recommendations and data required to procure more sustainable products throughout the campus, ranging from toner cartridges, eggs, and laundry products to optimizing farm produce and storage systems. Key outcomes included the establishment of Sustainable Food Procurement and Waste Guidelines for Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games, informing the development of a campus wider toner recycling program, waste reduction strategies with catering operations, and research-based insights for UBC IT and Food Services buyers.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 7 student research projects related to Transportation. Completed projects include:
• AMS Food and Beverage: Optimal Modes of Campus Food Delivery
• Botanical Garden: Traffic System Re-Design
• Closing the Loop on Campus Using Waste Cooking Oil and Biodiesel
• Energy Subsystem Design of AMS Sustainable Food Truck
• EV Impact Assessment on Electrical Grid Infrastructure
• Exploring the Feasibility of Introducing First Sustainable Carwash on the UBC Campus
• Project Gryphon: LCA of Electric vs. Gas-Fuelled Landscape Equipment

Key outcomes of these projects included strategies to increase biodiesel production and use on campus, energy modelling to develop the most sustainable food truck, and an assessment of UBC’s fleet of electric vehicles and machinery. The reports provided UBC operations with recommendations and data to reduce fuel consumption and improve fleet decisions.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 21 student research projects related to Waste. Completed projects include:
• Alternative Systems for Zero Waste User Engagement
• Campus Waste Audits
• Closing the Loop on Campus Using Waste Cooking Oil and Biodiesel
• Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste Practices - Waste Data Tracking
• Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste Practices - Waste Reduction and Diversion
• Digital Waste Tracking System for the New SUB
• Integrating Vermicomposting into AMS SUB Operations - Phase 3
• New SUB Sustainability-Themed Art Pieces: Design = Waste
• Organic Waste Management Options
• Organic Waste Management: Bin Liners
• Scaling-Up On-Site Composting in the Student Union Building ~UBC Vancouver
• Solvent Waste Segregation for Reuse
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on Campus: Sustainable Food Materials & Waste Procedures
• UBC Catering Waste Reduction
• UBC Farm Waste Management Plan
• UBC Food Services Pre-Consumer Waste Management
• UBC Organic Waste Management – Bin Liners
• UBC Organic Waste Management Option Analysis
• Waste Station Signage Comprehension: An analysis of waste stream contamination in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
• Waste Station User Experience: A CBSM Approach
• Waste Station Stream Tracking System in the New SUB

Key outcomes include improvements in Construction and Demolition waste tracking that allow UBC to better monitor targets and changes associated with capital projects. Other outcomes ranged from development of the waste management plan for a major sporting event, behaviour-change research that supports post-consumer waste sorting and diversion, to development of the first campus waste tracking scale to measure and classify waste collection operations in the new Student Union Building.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 9 student research projects related to Water. Completed projects include:
• Assessment of Alternative Water Systems
• Athletic Facilities: Water and Energy Sustainability Leadership
• Botanical Garden Four Corners Project - Conceptual Design
• Botanical Garden: 1. Subsurface Storage Reservoir and Collection/Distribution System
• Campus Water Conservation - Low-flow Showerheads
• Evaluation of Energy and Water Performance of LEED Building(s) at UBC
• Exploring the Feasibility of Introducing First Sustainable Carwash on the UBC Campus
• Tap Water Declaration Campaign - Campus Fountains
• Towards a Bottled-Water Free Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games

The reports and projects provided UBC operational staff with recommendations and data required to reduce water usage, reduce the impact of water distribution, and identify strategies for campus stormwater management. Key outcomes included the development of strategies to increase tap water consumption on campus, water usage inventory of Athletic facilities, development of a sustainable water usage strategy with Athletics and Recreation.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 4 student research projects related to Coordination, Planning & Governance. Completed projects include:
• Sustainable Sites Initiative Criteria and UBC
• Sustainable Campus Food Guide and Map
• The Use of Social Life Cycle Assessment to Inform UBC’s Purchasing and Investment Decisions
• Tap Water Declaration Campaign - Campus Fountains

Key outcomes included the first application of SITES assessment on a campus landscape to guide and measure landscape sustainability, changes to UBC Technical Guidelines to increase universal accessibility to water infrastructure, and creation of a food map and new guide on sustainable food options on campus.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 1 student research project related to Diversity & Affordability. Completed projects include:
• Building Operations - Growing the Number of Tradeswomen at UBC

Key outcomes included a marketing plan to increase the number of women working in trades at UBC.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 6 student research projects related to Health, Wellbeing & Work. Completed projects include:
• Building Operations - Growing the Number of Tradeswomen at UBC
• Campus Well-Being - Defining Health
• Effectively Reducing Custodial Workplace Accidents and Time Loss
• Evaluation of Health Product Declarations (HPD’s) for UBC Campus Building Projects
• Farm to Campus Health Care
• Healthy Options in Vending Machines on Campus

Key outcomes included the development of strategies and recommendations related to reducing risk of injury in the workplace, expanding definitions of health, and encouraging healthy decisions on campus in healthcare, vending machines and food outlets.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 1 student research project related to Investment. Completed projects include:
• The Use of Social Life Cycle Assessment to Inform UBC’s Purchasing and Investment Decisions

The reports provided Procurement and Payment Services with recommendations related to considering broader social sustainability criteria when evaluating purchasing and investment options, guidelines and policies.

In 2013/14, the SEEDS Program facilitated 14 student research projects related to Public Engagement. Completed projects include:
• Alternative Systems for Zero Waste User Engagement
• AMS Community Kitchen
• Botanical Garden Four Corners Project - Conceptual Design
• Botanical Garden: Subsurface Storage Reservoir and Collection/Distribution System
• Botanical Garden: Multi-Purpose Building and Overflow Parking
• Botanical Garden: Traffic System Renovation
• Botanical Garden: Relaxing and Learning: Conservatory, Café, Walkways
• Botanical Garden: Sustainable Community Amenities
• Climate Food Action Project
• Farm to Campus Health Care
• Food Skills Development on Campus
• Healthy Options in Vending Machines on Campus
• Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games: Promoting Human Well-being at UBC
• Towards A Culturally Appropriate UBC Food System

Key outcomes of these projects included strategic recommendations for increasing recruitment equity, designing infrastructure for student and visitor amenities, and design and implementation of strategies to promote UBC student involvement and wellbeing during the Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games on campus.

Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) activities are conducted in association with the CLL working group, the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the UBC Farm (http://ubcfarm.ubc.ca), and special courses and projects offered across faculties at UBC. The CLL working group oversees major infrastructure projects on campus with sustainability and research outcomes. UBC embeds CLL projects within the curriculum through the SEEDS (Social Ecological Economic Development Studies) Sustainability Program (http://sustain.ubc.ca/seeds).

Since 2000, UBC’s SEEDS Sustainability Program has provided students with real-world sustainability experience, skills and knowledge while they earn course-based credit. Students work collaboratively with faculty and staff to develop and implement projects that address real campus sustainability challenges. The outcomes of the majority of projects are implemented or influence decision making around ecological, social and economic sustainability on campus.

At the end of each SEEDS project, a research report and presentation are produced by students, in collaboration with staff. The SEEDS Library includes over 1,000 student research reports that provide a valuable reference for work completed in each of the reporting categories. SEEDS reports are available online at: http://sustain.ubc.ca/courses-teaching/seeds/seeds-library.

In 2013/14, UBC’s SEEDS Sustainability Program engaged 896 students, faculty and staff, resulting in 86 projects and 194 student reports. SEEDS projects align with and feed into campus-wide sustainability plans and department-level sustainability frameworks.

More information about UBC’s CLL initiatives is available online at: http://sustain.ubc.ca/our-commitment/campus-living-lab.