The UBC Learning Exchange project is located at Cordova and Main Street in Vancouver. The UBC Learning Exchange is an organization that acts as a bridge between First Nations, a wide range of UBC faculties, and other diverse communities of the Downtown Eastside. The project includes a flexible social hub that allows for diverse activities such as social support, computer or resume training, maker space activities, artist presentations/author readings or community meetings. Conceptually, the space was imagined as a walk through forests from the past which occupied the site, and composed of broad leaf maples, hemlocks and cedars. The ground floor has an expansive open clearing in the centre and carved out nooks on the edges to support intimate conversations between staff and patrons. Early on, a process was established, encouraging local artists and craftspeople the opportunity to contribute to the atmosphere of the space.
