Re-envisioning the UBC Botanical Garden

The UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research occupies 78 acres of land situated on the southwest corner of the UBC campus. It is the home to a collection of over 12 000 plants, including numerous rare and endangered species, representing many regions around the world. This makes it the 2nd most diverse botanical garden in North America (UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, 2013b). Improvement of the UBC Botanical Garden is required to increase the annual volume of visitors to a level that can provide funds to continue research and sustainability. To achieve this task, six different design components are proposed to be implemented over several phases. The six conceptual design components are as follows. 1. Directional and scientific cataloguing signage 2. Moon Tunnel interior upgrades 3. Rooftop rainwater collection and distribution system 4. Stormwater drainage system 5. Greenhouse-café bistro and lounge 6. Elevated pedestrian walkway The first phase of the redevelopment plan will improve upon the visitor experience, and increase visitor engagement, by enhancing signage and aesthetics in the garden. The combination of thick foliage and low-strung signage in the west portion of the garden makes its trails challenging to navigate for visitors. Enhancing the directional signage and identifying garden landmarks will greatly contribute to the navigability of the garden. In addition, current plant signage only presents a taxonomical name, which has little meaning to most visitors. New scientific signage with improvements made to graphics and descriptions — with the possibility of interactive elements — would make the garden experience more educational and engaging for visitors. The Moon Tunnel used to connect the east and west portions of the botanical garden is aesthetically displeasing when compared to the rest of the garden. Since the tunnel is unavoidable, due to the layout of the garden trail route, it is worthwhile to provide some upgrades. By simply covering the corrugated steel walls ...