Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) 3.3

Building a sustainable community includes setting high standards for UBC’s residential developments. The Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) is a comprehensive, UBC-specific green building rating system for mandatory application to all multi-unit residential construction in the neighbourhoods, which supports the movement towards a new positive position.
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Evolve Building

About REAP

UBC created REAP to guide the development of all residential buildings planned for the UBC Vancouver campus. All new multi-unit residential buildings at UBC must achieve a minimum REAP Gold certification. 

Compared to standard residential buildings, REAP ensures a lower carbon impact, improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption. REAP ensures higher-quality indoor environment, improved amenities, more ecologically based landscapes and better construction practices. REAP building standards also reduce the environmental impact on both the building site and the larger community. After meeting all mandatory measures, developers select from a wide range of optional measures, in any of the performance categories below, to earn a REAP certification.

REAP 3.3

Download the REAP 3.3 Reference Manual

Download the REAP 3.2/3.3 Interpretations

REAP 3.3 replaces the previous version (3.2). The latest version will help advance UBC’s climate emergency and sustainability priorities as well as support the climate mitigation and adaptation goals in the Campus Vision 2050 Draft 30-Year Vision.  

REAP (Version 3.3) continues to advance the goals and targets set out in the UBC Green Building Action Plan. It introduces higher levels of performance that reduce operational and embodied emissions, including advancing UBC’s requirements for the provincial Energy Step Code and a new commitment to the Zero Carbon Step Code, aligning with the Province of BC’s goal that all new buildings be net zero energy ready before 2032. 

REAP 3.3 applies to projects that have applied for development permit after June 29th 2023

Learn more about REAP 3.3:

Download the REAP 3.3 Checklist

 

REAP currently awards points in eight component areas along with a bonus in innovation and research credit:

  1. Energy & Emissions
  2. Biodiversity
  3. Water
  4. Place & Experience
  5. Materials & Resources
  6. Climate Adaptation
  7. Quality
  8. Health & Wellbeing
  9. Innovation & Research

REAP 3.2

REAP 3.2 applies to projects that have applied for a development permit before June 29th 2023. Please see the REAP 3.2 resources at the bottom of this page.

REAP Buildings at UBC

REAP certified buildings are listed in the Green Building Directory.

History

When the planning process for our residential UTown@UBC community began, no green building rating systems existed that could be applied to wood frame residential building types planned for the University. UBC Properties Trust, UBC Architecture professor Dr. Ray Cole and his students, Campus & Community Planning, and Campus Sustainability worked collaboratively to develop REAP. The program is modeled after the US Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Building Rating System and has evolved to implement UBC’s policies as they develop over the years.