CFI funding supported creation of new interdisciplinary space
The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) officially opened a new, state-of-the-art research space today. Housed in the Innovation Annex, part of UBC Okanagan’s Innovation Precinct, the new facility is the result of three separate Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) awards to FCCS researchers Dr. Emily Christina Murphy, Dr. Miles Thorogood and Dr. Megan Smith.
Aimed at fostering cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the research hub combines three separate creative labs and studios—ReMedia Infrastructure for Research and Creation, the Sonic Production, Intelligence, Research, and Applications Lab (SPIRAL), and the Critical Future Studio/Lab—making it a unique space for creativity and collaboration.
The hub, which the faculty describes as unique in Canada, was made possible through the three researchers combining their individual CFI awards, each of which included funding for a performance space, in order to enable the creation of the shared facility that features three studios, an audio control room and a larger performance space.
Dr. Emily Christina Murphy, Director of ReMedia Infrastructure for Research and Creation, highlighted the collaborative vision behind the project. “It became clear that we had some interesting overlapping research needs and could come together to create a single state-of-the-art facility,” she said.
The CFI awards, which support universities in acquiring advanced research infrastructure, were further bolstered by matching funds from the provincial government through the BC Knowledge Development Fund.
“This space has really opened up everything,” says Dr. Thorogood, who leads the Sonic Production, Intelligence, Research, and Applications Lab (SPIRAL). His lab now boasts top-tier audio production equipment, including 36 speakers for experimenting with immersive sound experiences. Dr. Thorogood’s Creative AI research focuses on developing tools to automate tasks in sound design, potentially transforming the audio landscape of large-scale multiplayer video games by generating dynamic soundscapes in real time.
Meanwhile, Dr. Murphy’s ReMedia delves into cultural memory and the ways technology shapes our understanding of the past and present. Her research, which will now include recreating historical performances in the new shared space, has been further enhanced by the CFI funding, enabling her to acquire wearables and advanced computing tools to analyze data from social media and other sources.
Dr. Smith, the third researcher in the collaboration and Director of the new Master of Design program, leads the Critical Future Studio/Lab. Her work integrates art, computer science and engineering to create immersive AR and VR environments. In collaboration with the RCMP, she has developed VR controllers for cadet training that mirror the weight and feel of real-world equipment, enhancing the realism of training exercises. Another project, “Walking in the Cold,” explores climate change through VR, using CFI-funded infrared heaters and blowers to simulate environmental shifts.
With the facility now operational, all three researchers are excited about the potential for new collaborative opportunities.
“I’m most excited about seeing how new synergies can occur in the space, and with this new community,” says Dr. Smith. “I think the space itself is going to yield some incredible work.”
The shared research hub is set to be a major driver of innovation, advancing creative research and opening new doors for interdisciplinary collaboration at UBC Okanagan.
UBC Okanagan has a track record of securing CFI funding for both large-scale research infrastructure and individual research spaces. The new facility follows in the footsteps of successful projects like the Centre for Health Behaviour Change and the Reading, Language, and Mathematics (ReaLM) Lab.