A multipurpose facility built to support student potential and foster collaboration, scholarly engagement, and innovation.

Quiet Study Spaces

Please note that our study habits are as unique as we are. If you are in a designated quiet study space, please be respectful and keep unnecessary noise or distraction to a minimum.

Lois and Cliff Serwa Reading Room

This quiet study space on the ground floor of the Commons next to the Library building features natural light and a variety of seating options.

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.

Bookable Study Spaces

Along with several open and informal learning spaces in The Commons building, there are also many private study spaces that are available for you to book. Please note that users must adhere to all policies.

Other Study Spaces

The Galleria

With high ceilings and enormous windows, this long narrow seating area features gorgeous views of the Okanagan Valley and makes for the perfect place to study or eat lunch.

D. Ross Fitzpatrick Great Hall

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. 

Special Purpose Spaces

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.

Okanagan Special Collections

Located on the lower level of the Commons, Okanagan Special Collections provides a repository for titles published in and about the Okanagan and neighbouring regions of British Columbia, as well as archival collections that present the rich and dynamic history of the region.

To search for Okanagan Special Collections holdings, please use the UBC Library Catalogue. Archival materials are accessible for in-person research consultations. To book a consultation, contact our Archivist.

Okanagan Special Collections

The Sawchuk Family Theatre is an interactive public space with programmable screens for presentation, digital art, and more, allowing you to bring your ideas to life through a high-resolution video wall experience. This space requires booking in advance for events.

Book this space

The Visualization and Emerging Media Studio (VEMS) aims to lower the bar of entry into immersive realities and big data visualization. By holding space for experimentation, providing access to the latest technologies and attracting the brightest students, faculty and staff, the VEMS is a launching point for ground-breaking digital discovery.

Learn more about the space