WSP will be providing a number of engineering, building and environmental services for the development of the new Royal BC Museum (RBCM) Collections and Research Building (CRB), to be located in Colwood on lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Territory.

The new 15,200-square-metre state-of-the-art facility will be the new home for the province’s collections, B.C. Archives, and RBCM’s research departments. The mass timber-designed facility will also include learning spaces and research labs, with the goal of making collections more accessible. The building design will reflect Indigenous cultural connections to the land and territory on which it is built.

“The new Collections and Research Building will help protect centuries of invaluable information and artifacts by creating a resilient environment for those pieces not on display at the Museum. Our team is excited for the opportunity to use our expertise to create this dynamic new home for these important pieces of British Columbia’s rich history,” said Doug Redmond, WSP vice president, buildings.

The team will be working with project partners Maple Reinders, who was awarded a $204.8-million contract by the Government of British Columbia for the design and construction of the facility, as well as Michael Green Architecture. The project is being delivered in partnership with the Royal BC Museum, the Government of British Columbia, and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

Construction will begin on the facility in summer of 2023, with the RBCM CRB set to open to the public in the summer of 2026.