Accoya® Color Grey brings sustainability and durability to Solar Decathlon® Build Challenge

Third Space Commons: Holistic Design using Accoya® Color Grey for siding and decking 

Founded in 2019 by three female engineering students, Third Quadrant Design is UBC’s first student-led green building team. The growing team of passionate students share a commitment to designing regenerative, high-performing buildings at the highest quality. In 2021, Third Quadrant Design jumped at the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Build Challenge, which prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewable energy.

The team had two years to build their entry — Third Space Commons — incorporating sustainable materials like Accoya® Color Grey as they battled to win top spot across ten sustainability and performance contest categories.

Third Space Commons is now a dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive community space located on the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey Campus, thoughtfully designed to live three distinct lives.

First Life
In its first life, the team deconstructed and reused materials and systems from an existing single-family home to showcase the feasibility and importance of circularity in today's building market. 

Second life
In its second life, the building is currently a showcase of a near-zero energy and carbon single-family home for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition.

Third Life
Third Space Commons will continue to thrive in its third life as a living lab and collaboration space for UBC students and faculty. 

Third Space Commons won the team 3rd place as an ‘Overall Winner’ of the Build Challenge and 1st place in Embodied Environmental Impact and Architecture, with beautiful, low-maintenance, upcycle-able and recyclable Accoya® Color Grey harmonizing form, function and sustainability as the siding and decking of the building. 

A truly sustainable choice, Accoya® Color Grey is FSC® certified timber. It is a low-carbon and 100% non-solution for decking and siding applications, with a color-thru grey that provides a consistent finish and, if scuffing occurs, will simply reveal further grey throughout the surface. 

The use of Accoya® Color Grey added texture, warmth, and visual interest to the space. Upper Canada Forest Products was proud to donate to product to the Third Quadrant Design team for their build. 

Wood species: Accoya® Color Grey

Client: Third Quadrant Design, University of British Columbia (UBC) 

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