Project overview of Treehouse (Lam̓íwa / θqétəw̓txʷ)—Capilano University's first on-campus student housing building at its North Vancouver campus.
| Status: | Occupancy May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Project location: | Main North Vancouver Campus |
| Budget: | $58.2 million |
| Projected completion date: | Anticipated occupancy May 2026 |
| Sustainability: | Targeting LEED Gold equivalency and BC Energy Step Code 4 |
| Student capacity: | On-campus housing for 362 students |
Project overview
- New 362-bed student housing and dining hall building.
- This six-storey building, totalling 8,250 square metres, includes:
- Café and 250-seat dining hall, open to the public during regular hours
- Study rooms, lounges and shared kitchens on each residential floor
- Laundry facilities and secure bicycle storage
- Multipurpose room and dedicated student support spaces
- Indigenous-focused reflection space
- Wood First: Mass Timber incorporated in the gathering area of the dining hall (exposed beams) and wood frame on five upper floors.
- CleanBC: BC Energy Step Code 4, indicating an expected GHG emissions reduction of 86 per cent over a baseline of LEED® Gold with natural gas.
Student and community benefits
Capilano University's first on-campus student housing building at the North Vancouver campus is designed to create a strong statement of contemporary and sustainable housing to:
- Provide safe, conveniently located, below-market rate accommodations for students attending Capilano University
- Improve the living and learning experience for students living on campus
- Harmonize with the North Vancouver campus environment
- Reduce numbers of students commuting to and from campus
- Model sustainability in both the built-environment and through operational efficiencies
- Create a vibrant centre of student life on campus
Frequently asked questions
Rationale
Capilano University's first on-campus student housing building at the North Vancouver campus is designed to create a strong statement of contemporary and sustainable housing to:
- Provide safe, conveniently located, below-market rate accommodations for students attending Capilano University
- Improve the living and learning experience for students living on campus
- Harmonize with the North Vancouver campus environment
- Reduce students having to commute to and from campus
- Model sustainability in both the built-environment and through operational efficiencies
- Create a vibrant centre of student life on campus
CapU has historically been a commuter campus, with students travelling from across the Lower Mainland. There is limited rental housing near campus and strong demand for student housing, with applications exceeding available spaces in recent years. The new building helps address these challenges by providing dedicated, on-campus housing.
Living on campus reduces long commutes, improves access to classes and services, and supports student well-being and academic success. It also helps build a stronger sense of community and connection for students.
Recognizing that students face many expenses when pursuing post-secondary education, rates will be set below-market. The housing also creates part-time student employment helping students to supplement their incomes.
Features
The six-storey building includes 362 beds, housing 360 students plus a two-bedroom suite for a residence life facilitator. It features study rooms, lounges and shared kitchens on each residential floor, along with a café and 250-seat dining hall open to the campus community. It also includes laundry facilities, a bike storage room, student support spaces, a multipurpose room and a reflection space. The six-storey building includes 362 beds, housing 360 students plus a two-bedroom suite for a residence life facilitator. It features study rooms, lounges and shared kitchens on each residential floor, along with a café and 250-seat dining hall open to the campus community. It also includes laundry facilities, a bike storage room, student support spaces, a multipurpose room and a reflection space.
The building incorporates mass timber construction and is designed to exceed current B.C. Building Code energy-efficiency standards. It targets LEED Gold equivalency and meets Step 4 of the B.C. Energy Step Code.
The dining pavilion has an exposed, mass timber structure to provide outdoor dining space for student use and shelter from the rain when approaching the building.
The upper levels of the building are clad in a combination of textured and smooth fibre cement panels.
The overall exterior treatment is designed to harmonize with the concrete buildings and the contemporary design of other buildings on campus, such as the Bosa Centre for Film and Animation.
The landscaping for the building is centred around a courtyard, which offers seating areas, raised plant beds and integrated seating. Drought-resistant vegetation bordering the building and in raised plant beds are selected from local, Indigenous species.
The building has been designed to support Capilano University’s accessibility requirements. Doors at each entry will operate automatically.
The ground floor is level, with no ramps or steps. Living unit floors include accessible private bedrooms and fully accessible shared private washrooms.
Community benefits
The long-term benefits include reduced pressure on local transit and car commuting, alleviated demand on already limited local rental housing, and the ability of students to remain in North Vancouver seven days a week, frequenting local grocery stores, shops and restaurants.
Student housing operates as a 24/7 service, and the addition of on-campus housing at the North Vancouver campus enhances the campus experience with expanded resources and amenities. The new building includes a café and 250-seat dining hall, offering greater food options and extended service hours. Public transit to campus is provided by TransLink, which regularly reviews and adjusts service based on ridership and seasonal demand.