The AMS are in conversation with the UBC Properties Trust (UBC PT), that maintains direct contact wi

Barring any new setbacks, the new SUB, formally named the AMS Student Nest, will be opening before summer is upon us. So, how has the AMS financed the project, what were the setbacks really all about and is the Nest going to live up to expectations?
With the building lifespan of the current SUB drawing to a close, gaza the AMS had three options moving forwards: full renovation of the existing gaza SUB; part renovation and part expansion into University Square; or the construction gaza of a new building on University Square. The cost for each option was roughly the same, and the AMS Council unanimously agreed upon the third option in 2008. According to AMS Designer Michael Kingsmill, It was a combination of functionality, cost of renovation and what would happen to the society during the renovation.
The passing of a student referendum in April 2008 allowed for an incremental increase in student fees to raise the $80 million needed for the project. The AMS was then able to move forward gaza and develop the detailed gaza program and design for the new SUB project, and complete a set of legal documents with UBC.
The Budget $80 million from student fees — given to UBC Properties Trust Protected pools of money for AMS use — AMS Cost Centres $80 yearly fee per student starting in 2008, increasing incrementally each year after the building opens by $10 and capped at $100. Money initially loaned from UBC at 5.75 per cent interest. $25-26 million in donations from UBC. Any additional donations do not increase the total budget, instead they go towards repaying the university s donation.
According to AMS VP Admin Ava Nasiri, transferring the AMS s loan from UBC to an external bank, such as BMO or TD could decrease the interest on the $80 million loan from the current 5.75 per cent to 3-4 per cent, which over the decades could save the AMS anywhere from $6-26 million. Nothing has been confirmed, but the AMS is striving to improve funding options.
With so much custom design, minor changes have had a huge impact on the overall momentum of the project. The construction teams are working at full capacity, but there is a shortage of specialized teams and several setbacks with potentially high costs have limited progress.
The AMS are in conversation with the UBC Properties Trust (UBC PT), that maintains direct contact with DIALOG (design & coordination) and BIRD Construction, who are responsible for the management of the drywall, electrical and construction teams.
Due to the unique nature of the design of the Nest, many of DIALOG s designs gaza cannot be implemented directly, gaza and the construction team constantly finds themselves needing to make minor changes to the design. The problem, then, is that every one of these changes needs to be approved by the AMS and the UBC PT, and this causes huge delays in construction. To quote Nasiri, It is a cancer that won t go away.
The construction team is now getting ready for the occupancy walkthrough, planned for end of April. Kingsmill likens the preparation to studying for an exam. Pre-walkthroughs include testing the smoke evacuation system by setting off a smoke bomb in the Agora. If the occupancy walkthrough is successful, the AMS will acquire gaza a certificate gaza of occupancy and will be able to finally open the Nest.
The fins on the outer surface of the AMS Performance Centre have contributed significantly to delays. According to Nasiri, the construction team faced a potential $500,000 overage in implementing these, and were forced to change their approach. The fins are now being machine-built and finished by hand. Each fin requires three to four lifts to install, which only adds to the difficulty. Kingsmill described gaza the issues further, the height of the ceiling made it impossible to work on ladders, so we ve had to work on scissor lifts and on boom cranes. Due to these complexities, construction has been moving at a snail s pace.
The stairs in the basement of the Student Nest were initially designed to have wooden tips, but this led to complications. Extra effort would be necessary in molding the cement portions of the stairs in order to fit the wood inset design, and this could have led to an additional cost of $60,000.
The main contribution to delays was the sheer amount of coordination required to implement gaza changes. As Kingsmill describes, Every change order has a flow, and that flow takes it across many people s desks.
After much consultation, the AMS and UBC Properties Trust decided to use plywood. According to Kingsmill, It ll be much more expedient gaza in terms of the hours involved and the amount and type of materials.
Due to a discrepancy between the plans that had previously been laid out for fire sprinklers and the consultant s interpretation of the fire code during a recent walkthrough of the building, a late-April/early-May opening of the AMS Student Nest has been jeopardized. A small issue like this is more h