HPB students support innovation at Vancouver Coastal Health
Since 2015, UBC’s Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in High Performance Buildings has been preparing engineers, architects and building‑industry professionals to lead the transition to healthier, more energy‑efficient and resilient built environments. The program blends advanced technical courses with leadership training, equipping graduates to step into roles where they can guide interdisciplinary teams, influence policy and deliver innovative building solutions.
A key strength of the program is its collaboration with industry and public‑sector partners through internships and capstone projects. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has had a multi-year relationship with the MEL, engaging students to work on design challenges by facilitating capstone projects and hiring an intern through UBC’s Sustainability Scholar program. These initiatives are mutually beneficial: students are able to apply their technical knowledge and business skills to real-world problems and the health authority benefits from their insight and new ideas.
Kori Jones, the director of the energy and emission management plan at VCH, oversees energy management at both existing operations and new developments. “We are not prioritizing decarbonization in isolation,” he says. “We are advancing low-carbon resilience to ensure we provide business continuity for a critical service in a changing climate, while minimizing future impacts on health.”
Jones says the partnership with the MEL program has become an important way for VCH to explore new ideas, test emerging best practices and connect with the next generation of building‑sector leaders.
Capstone projects bring learning to life
High Performance Building students complete two capstone projects during the year-long degree. In the first, students review data from an existing building and recommend strategies to improve its sustainability performance. In the second, students are paired with an industry partner design an energy system for a new development that meets specific performance objectives.
In 2025 one of the capstone projects required students to develop design concepts for a proposed VCH long-term care facility informed by lessons from Vienna House, a seven-storey 123-unit near-net-zero rental building in Vancouver that incorporates Passive House design principles.
Students were given performance criteria, environmental targets and clinical requirements for the proposed facility and asked to translate these into a holistic building design.
“Their design was innovative, showcasing thoughtful ways to connect residents to nature,” says Jones. “The students had great insights and reached out to industry contacts to inform their work. There’s a growing interest in better understanding modular builds and panelization, which could be leveraged in future health-care projects.”
Strengthening environmental health through air quality research
Many MEL students participate in UBC’s Sustainability Scholar program, which places students in paid intern positions with partner organizations to work on applied research projects. In 2023, Stanley Wang, then an HPB student, was matched with VCH, where he worked with Jones on an air quality initiative.
“We wanted to learn more about how outdoor air quality – exacerbated by greater numbers and intensity of wildfires – impacted indoor air quality and HVAC efficiency,” says Jones.
Wang conducted a literature review on smoke infiltration in health-care facilities, analyzed operations at several VCH sites, evaluated PM2.5 levels and recommended strategies to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with HVAC systems. Jones says that Wang’s work contributed to the deployment of air-quality sensors to monitor PM2.5 and helped VCH refine its operational strategies during major smoke events. Read Wang’s report HVAC Energy Efficiency and Indoor Air Quality in Health Care Facilities.
According to Jones, the team was highly impressed with Wang’s work and overall approach; as a result, he was a leading candidate when a full‑time role became available. Wang joined VCH as an energy specialist immediately after completing the MEL program in December 2023. Read an alumni spotlight article on Stanley Wang.
Accelerating student growth – and delivering value for organizations
Students gain immediate benefits from internships and capstone projects, enabling them to integrate their knowledge, deepen their understanding of leading building technologies and practices, and grow their professional network and experience. For students new to BC or Canada, these projects also provide valuable exposure to local building codes and regulations. And for some—as was the case with Wang – it becomes a direct pathway to a full-time role.
Organizations benefit as well. While onboarding new people – whether an intern or students that are part of a capstone team – requires an investment of time and energy that is often in short supply, Jones says that working with MEL students has been “low commitment in terms of time” while offering tangible value to VCH. He also sees it as a way of raising awareness among top building professionals about the opportunities that exist in health care, as well as the sector’s unique requirements and considerations.
Jones encourages other organizations to consider partnering with the MEL.
“You will be very pleased by the ability of MEL students to advance your project in ways you may not have expected. This has been a positive experience.”
