Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) 4.0

The Residential Environmental Assessment Program (REAP) is a comprehensive, UBC-specific green building rating system for all multi-unit residential construction in the UBC Vancouver campus neighbourhoods.
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Evolve Building

REAP 4.0 Public Review

UBC is currently undergoing a process to update the existing REAP (Version 3.3) to ensure that it aligns with the targets of the Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan. This includes a reduction in operational emissions and embodied carbon. The current version of REAP (Version 3.3) is still in effect up until UBC Board of Governors approves the proposed amendments under REAP (Version 4.0) which is anticipated to come into effect on June 20, 2025.

Submit Comments

In accordance with UBC Policy #UP12 (Land Use, Permitting and Sustainability), the proposed amendments to REAP are being posted for 30 days for public review and comment prior to presentation to the Board of Governors seeking approval on June 20th 2025.

Reference Documents for the Proposed REAP Version 4.0 Amendments:

Please submit your comments via the link below:

Comment and feedback

If you have questions about the proposed amendments, please contact simmi.puri@ubc.ca.

About REAP

REAP is UBC’s mandatory green building rating system, created to address the unique conditions of neighbourhood development on UBC’s campus and implement requirements that tailored for UBC’s local context and residential building typologies.

REAP is designed to improve performance of newly constructed residential buildings. Buildings must meet sustainability standards that lower the carbon impact, improve energy efficiency, increase thermal comfort and ensure resilience to climate events. To allow the building design and construction industry flexibility to develop cost-effective design approaches, REAP has adopted optional credits in addition to mandatory requirements. All new buildings must achieve a minimum REAP gold certification by earning at least 50 out of 110 points using optional credits in the following component areas:

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

REAP History

When the planning process for the residential neighbourhoods began in 2001, no green building rating system existed that could be applied to multi-unit 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 similar to the US Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Building Rating System and has evolved to implement UBC’s sustainability policies for buildings as they develop over the years. 

Click here for a list of REAP certified buildings.

Download the REAP 3.3 Reference Manual

Download the REAP 3.3 Checklist

Download the REAP 3.2/3.3 Interpretations

REAP 3.3 applies to projects that have applied for development permit after June 29th 2023. Development Permits submitted after June 20, 2025 will need to comply with REAP 4.0 (subject to UBC Board of Governors approval).

REAP 3.3 helps 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.