July 19, 2016

Top Stories


Save the Date – Wednesday, August 24th – Ice Cream Social!

Whether you’re here during the day or evening shift, save the date for this Building Operations wide event.

You can now sign up in the following events:

  • Interested in playing water balloon dodgeball? Form a team of 5 players. Submit your team name and member names to Caroline Soriano.
  • Interested in entering a pie eating contest? E-mail Caroline Soriano.
  • We’re also looking for pie eating contest judges, water balloon dodgeball referees, and dunk tank assistants. Contact Caroline Soriano.

All Building Ops staff are welcome! Time to mingle & meet as we beat the heat.


Read Professor Santa Ono’s Invitation to Engage

Read the invitation to engage. This was sent July 12 as a broadcast email. And yes, we’ve invited him to have ice cream with us!


This Week’s Special Feature: the Steamfitters

By Thomas Shields

If I were to describe my role as a steamfitter it would be as follows “rarely seen but always felt.” The reasoning behind that is simple; we provide hospitable spaces on campus with heat and cooling depending on the occupants’ specific needs.

Our role has an impact to everyone who uses a building on campus in any facet. While a key component of our job is to ensure that the buildings are comfortable, we also provide many faculties with room-specific need like freezers, steam generators and chilled water for lasers.

Often times occupants will only see us in dire times like a flood or when the heat has stopped working in their office. That doesn’t mean we aren’t there troubleshooting all kinds of mechanical issues on all kinds of mechanical systems. These systems include DES primary systems, DES secondary systems, BRDF plant, boilers, humidifiers, heat pumps, chillers, cooling towers, basic office radiant systems, autoclave units, and many other steam and hot water related issues. We also work closely with many trades, including electricians, controls, shift operators, carpenters, sheet metal and BMS operators.

Steamfitters make UBC a comfortable place to work, live and learn.  We provide quality service to all who come to campus for any need. We maintain the campus so it can be sustainable and efficient for the future.


Poster with AVED Projects on USB Main Floor

A new poster on the USB main floor shows all current and upcoming AVED major projects. Updated regularly, the projects are categorized by project phases (discovery, construction, handover) and by type of system. This poster is up to help inform you of what construction is in planning, design and construction phases so we can participate meaningfully and ensure that we aren’t caught off guard by new construction and new assets. This can help inform you of renewal projects, help make repair decisions as service requests are made, and help see if a project overlaps with others/contractors. When you’re in the USB main hall, take a moment to review the project relevant to you. And please provide any feedback on the posters to the listed Building Ops FM or system owner.


Upcoming Road Closures Around Campus

The roads in the following locations will be closed for repaving. This includes half a day for grinding, half day for paving, and a short closure for line painting. You can expect some local noise, vibration and odor during both the grinding and paving.

On July 25th, repaving is scheduled at the following locations:

  • On Lower Mall between the First Nations House of Learning, Place Vanier Residence and Ponderosa Commons
  • On Agronomy Road between Main Mall and West Mall.
  • In the Strangway Parking lot on the east side of the Copp Building.

Wayfinding website updated map April 2012


Dentistry Courtyard Public Realm Project Will Limit Vehicle Access in Area

As early as Monday, July 25th, there will be no vehicle access into the courtyard and pedestrians will be detoured due to the courtyard project. No change to access to Hospital Lane. We’ll share updates as they develop.

Dentistry Courtyard for Website-03


Campus Artwork Requires Special Maintenance, must have a service request from the Belkin Art Group

Just a reminder that the art work on campus is to be maintained in a special way. These pieces should not be touched without having a SR request specific work for those pieces. These SR’s would be initiated by the Belkin Art Group.

Not sure if it’s Art? Glance at the collection here: http://belkin.ubc.ca/outdoor-art/

If you do discover a need to clean or repair a piece, inform your Head who will let the Manager know.  Once the Manager has been informed, they can bring that forward to the Superintendent who will request direction from a member of the Belkin Art Group.

As an FYI, there will be an inventory preformed of the art work on campus that will also include the type of maintenance that will be required for each piece. This inventory will be compiled by a conservator who will be contracted to do this work. This will allow for a better understanding of what will be required when these pieces actually need to be maintained or repaired, and by whom.

For those interested in the outdoor collection, there are maps available online and for download that guide you through a walking tour.


Straights Times Praises UBC Campus as a must-see

Read the full article here, in “Beautiful And Welcoming Vancouver.”


Reminder..Notify Campus Security if You See Suspicious Individuals Entering USB

With the increase of suspicious individuals, there had been a number of incidents where debit and credit cards were taken stolen from wallets in USB. The perpetrator seem to have time to sort through the cards to take only what they want.

If you have any reason to suspect a person in our workplace, please contact Campus Security at 604-822-2222.


Quick Updates


Connected by Commitment 2015-2016 Annual Report Available…visit http://annualreport.ubc.ca/


Pharmacy and LFS Animal Care Noise Window closes Wednesday, July 20 at 3PM


NPS score remained at 78% with 3 new promoters


Welcome to UBC: Juanito Flores, Allan Morales, Garrett Garbe, Maya Grey Walsh, Rajesh Chand, Junald Repayo