Construction starts on 445-bed student housing building at SFU Burnaby | Daily Hive

Concept of the third phase student housing building at SFU Burnaby. (PUBLIC Architecture/SFU)

Construction is now officially underway on another new major student housing building atop Burnaby Mountain, serving the growing needs of Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) main campus.

This will be a mixed-use, eight-storey building with mass-timber construction, within a footprint just north of the existing Pauline Jewett, Barbara Rae, and Shadbolt student residence buildings at the northwest corner of SFU Burnaby’s academic campus.

There will be 445 student beds in this building, providing a 100 per cent net gain for the on-campus student housing supply, with a mix of studio and four-bedroom apartments and two- and four-bedroom townhouses.

You might also like:

The project represents the third phase of SFU Burnaby’s student housing master plan — continuing a years-long student housing building boom at the campus.

When complete in Fall 2027, SFU Burnaby will have just over 3,000 on-campus student housing beds — enough to house eight per cent of the university’s student population.

sfu burnaby phase 3 student housing buidling construction may 21 2025

Construction underway on the third phase student housing building at SFU Burnaby, as seen on May 21, 2025. (Government of BC)

“We are grateful for the Province’s continued investment in student housing and child care across the province. I look forward to continued growth of SFU’s resident student community on Burnaby Mountain and to continued partnership with the provincial government as we move forward,” said Joy Johnson, president of SFU, in a statement today.

“The post-secondary sector is united in our efforts to support British Columbians in tackling shared challenges, from housing to health care and beyond, as we make a difference for students and for communities across B.C.”

The project’s funding was first confirmed in July 2024, with the provincial government announcing at the time it will provide $132 million, with the university contributing the remainder. The total cost of the project has since slightly increased to about $197 million.

In addition to the student housing building, there will be a standalone major childcare facility building at the development site — providing 160 new childcare spaces. This represents a 39 per cent growth to SFU’s childcare capacity at the Burnaby campus and in Sapperton, reaching a total of 570 spaces.

sfu burnaby phase 3 student housing buidling

Concept of the third phase student housing building at SFU Burnaby. (PUBLIC Architecture/SFU)

Construction on the standalone childcare building will begin in Fall 2025, with completion also slated for Fall 2027.

Both the student housing and childcare buildings are designed by PUBLIC Architecture.

“A safe and secure place to live and conveniently located child care can be transformative for students and parents working or studying on campus,” said Bowinn Ma, the B.C. Minister of Infrastructure.

“These new facilities will provide shorter commute times, allow students to focus on their studies and help ease pressure on the local rental market. Projects like this are one way we are investing in infrastructure that supports people in B.C.”

Since 2018, the university has built three new student housing buildings at the Burnaby campus, with the most recent project being the nearby 2023-built Courtyard student residence or the second phase, which generated 383 beds for first-year students. Over the past seven years, a combined total of 941 new student housing beds have been built at the campus.

Upon the completion of a future fourth and fifth phases, which is the final phase of the student housing master plan, SFU will be able to offer on-campus student housing to 10 per cent of its students.

courtyard residence sfu burnaby simon fraser university

Courtyard Residence at SFU Burnaby. (Ledcor Group)

You might also like: