SFU Residences

The SFU Residence Study + Implementation project focuses on the design of student residence courtyards and connecting open spaces within Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus. Set within a forested mountain landscape, the project establishes a clear relationship between more structured courtyard spaces and the surrounding natural environment. 

PWL developed a cohesive landscape framework that organizes multiple levels and areas across the site. Residence courtyards are designed as defined, social spaces that support gathering and everyday student life, while adjacent green corridors maintain continuity with the broader campus landscape and surrounding forest. 

The design draws from the original campus vision by Arthur Erickson, reinforcing the relationship between architecture and landscape while introducing a consistent palette of materials, planting, and detailing across the site. These elements create a unified identity while allowing individual spaces to respond to their specific context.