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The Commons at The University of British Columbia Okanagan is a newer addition to the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. It is located off of University Way on the sunny Kelowna campus and sits on the traditional unceded territory of the Syilx nation. The Commons building is located across from the Charles E. Fipke Center for Innovative Research.

The $3.5-million dollar building cost was partially funded by students at UBCO, who chose "to be charged an extra $70 a year in tuition for four years to raise the $10-million contribution to the Commons."

Floor Plans

Floor	Key Features
Basement	The basement contains the Lois and Cliff Serwa reading room, a "quiet study space on the ground floor of the Commons next to the library building features natural light and a variety of seating options”
Ground Floor	The ground floor features the D. Ross Fitzpatrick great hall. It is dedicated to all students who, prior to its construction, had impending exams and no place to study. "Located on the lower and ground floor of the Commons, the Great Hall offers flexible seating and features a fifty-foot ceiling and a variety of innovative furniture and seating options for study and informal gatherings. The floor to ceiling windows provide ample natural light throughout the year.”
Second Floor	The second floor holds classroom 201, “The only 400-seat classroom at UBC Okanagan, this space includes a multimedia projector, full presentation console, iClicker, lighting control, media capture and AC power to all seats.”, along with multiple study rooms and assorted studios (see below).
Third Floor	The third floor contains the North reading room. "Located on the third floor of the Commons, the North Reading Room has a variety of high and low seating options and is the perfect place to focus on your studies in a quiet environment.”

History

The Commons was created to provide an inspiring space meant for both class time and study space including hundreds of seats in a variety of formats - low tables, couches, cubicles, and more - where students can work collaboratively or study quietly. It contains charging stations at nearly every seat as well as a coffee shop, Comma Cafe Q, to fuel both students and their devices. "The Commons also houses the university’s largest classroom, the 400-seat Engagement Theatre, 30 study rooms, a digital design lab and two media studios."

UBC Okanagan states: “The Commons is a transformative building for UBC Okanagan, enhancing the campus experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Originally proposed as an addition to the current Library building to create a new multipurpose facility, the Commons offers dynamic teaching and learning spaces for a rapidly developing campus, including a 400-seat classroom, a visualization and emerging media studio, graduate commons, and more than 350 new study and collaborative spaces. With its futuristic, state-of-the-art design, the Commons is anything but common—it is uniquely designed to foster collaboration, scholarly engagement and innovation.”

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