VIU Campus Development

Building Renumbering

Map of buildings that are renumbered

This project is subsidiary to the VIU Exterior Wayfinding Signage Program.

Background

Campus Development is upgrading all exterior wayfinding signage on the Nanaimo Campus based on feedback that we collected from a campus-wide consultation in 2021.

From the community’s input, we heard that the building numbers above Tamagawa Gardens are confusing – those buildings have "300-series" numbers but are located much further uphill from the center of the campus, where other "300-series" buildings (such as the Library and Main Cafeteria) are located. To simplify the system, a “400’s level” will be created on the Nanaimo Campus by renumbering several buildings.

Another point of confusion we heard from the community was that the Arts and Humanities building has two building numbers: 340 and 345. To eliminate confusion, it will become simply “Building 345”.

Project Overview

To facilitate this improvement, 19 buildings will be given new numbers:

  • Buildings 359 to 395 will be renumbered as Buildings 459 to 495. The last two digits of each number will remain identical to minimize the impact to the community and make the change as intuitive as possible.
  • Building 340/345 will be changed to simply Building 345.
  • Buildings at the GR Paine Horticulture Training Centre, Milner Gardens, and the Deep Bay Marine Field Station are currently using 400-series numbers. They will be renumbered to 500-series buildings to enable the new “400’s level” on Nanaimo Campus.

Complete List of Building Number Changes

Existing Building Number New Building Number
Nanaimo Campus
None (Annex of 115) 114
340/345 345
359 459
360 460
365 465
370 470
373 473
375 475
376 476
380 480
385 485
390 490
391 491
395 495
GR Paine Horticulture Training Centre
400 500
Parksville-Qualicum Centre
620 520
Milner Gardens
470 570
Deep Bay Marine Field Station
480 580
481 581
482 582

Benefits

  1. An improved campus wayfinding experience for all, with more intuitive building numbering:
    • Building numbers on Nanaimo Campus ascend with elevation
    • Building numbers on regional campuses and sites north of the Nanaimo Campus ascend geographically from south to north, from 500 for the GR Paine Horticulture Training Centre in Nanaimo, to the 600’s for tiwšɛmawtxʷ Campus

  2. A clear, single building number for the Arts and Humanities building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What systems are involved in each building number change? Will I be impacted?

A: Campus Development and Information Technology departments will identify affected systems for each change. Stakeholders will be notified with detailed instructions before the change happens.

Q: Will there be any notification when each building number change happens?

A: Yes. Prior to each building number change, notifications will be emailed to all occupants of the affected building and all stakeholders of affected systems. Another notification will be emailed after the change is completed. Public notices will be sent out through VIU Digest (for employees) and VIU Student Pulse (for students).

Q: How long will each building number change take?

A: Depending on the scale of each building, a number change can take a day to a few weeks. Please refer to notification emails to all stakeholders for detailed schedules.

Q: What do I need to prepare when the building that I am in is renumbered?

A: If you are identified as one of the occupants or stakeholders and if there is any preparation work required, you will receive detailed instructions prior to the change to give you enough time to prepare for it. Having said that, we do not anticipate any significant preparation work needed by occupants or stakeholders.

Q: Will help be available if I encounter any problems in my work affected by the building number change?

A: Yes. IT Helpdesk and Campus Development (Campus.Development@viu.ca) will be available for quick responses and troubleshooting for any problems encountered.

Q: When should I begin to use the new building numbers?

A: Please use the new building numbers as soon as you receive a notification or read the news indicating a number change is completed. Please distribute the news amongst your colleagues and students so everyone is aware of the change.

Q: In case of an emergency during the number change, which building number should I refer to when contacting emergency services or campus security?

A: Please refer to the old building number until you are notified the change is completed. This will not affect Building 340/345 as both numbers refer to the same building.

For VIU regional campuses, we recommend that you always use address, instead of VIU building number, when contacting emergency services.