Third Quadrant Design

Hiring 2026/27

CLOSES Wednesday, Sept 16th, 11:59PM
Who we are

Third Quadrant Design (TQD) strives to address our changing climactic conditions by designing carbon-negative buildings through sustainable design principles. Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to choose different projects each year and find creative solutions for complex issues.

From 2019-2025, we competed in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® Design Challenge and went undefeated with our 2020 and 2021 submissions. For our 2023 submission, TQD designed and built Third Space Commons on the UBC Vancouver campus with help from many partners, including DIALOG and Ledcor Consuction. In 2026, we are starting a new chapter separate from the Solar Decathlon.

Where we're going
Project Third Skin (2026): Inspired by the Vancouver (2021) Heatwave, our upcoming project hopes to reimagine the accessibility of temperature controlled buildings by designing a four-unit apartment to uplift underlooked individuals, rooted in Passive House and co-living principles. 
Learning/Doing:
  • Conceptualizing an original building design focused on uplifting socially-isolated individuals
  • Researching design/construction practices for a potential academic publication
  • Creating an interactive digital walkthrough to go along with our designed space
  • Gaining meaningful experience by working directly with architecture, engineering, and construction professionals
Join the team

Captains

Emma Heris
Emma Heris
Spencer Sun
Spencer Sun
Juna Ibrahim
Juna Ibrahim

Selected Works

Poetry Night render
Poetry Night
A passive house retrofit of an Iranian Yakhchal designed to break gender barriers and bring communities together. Designed for the 2026 Buildner Re:Form Architecture Competition.
2025–26
Vancouver Special 2.0 render
Vancouver Special 2.0
A retrofit strategy for the city's most common house type, entered in the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge.
2024–25
Third Space Commons render
Third Space Commons
A design-build project on UBC’s Vancouver campus designed and constructed on the principles of carbon minimalism, system minimalism, flexibility & adaptability, resilience, and UBC as a living lab.
2021-2023
Closes
Wednesday, September 16, 11:59 PM

Roles

Team Lead(6-10 hours a week)
  • Set the direction for a subteam and keep the project on schedule.
  • Run weekly check-ins and guide members to completing deliverables.
Sub-teams
Architecture(4-6 hours a week)
  • Translate concepts into drawings, models and spatial plans using Adobe suite, Rhino, rendering and CAD softwares.
Engineering(4-6 hours a week)
  • We are looking for engineers interested in sustainable building design: civil, mechanical, energy, building science etc.
Marketing and Outreach(5-6 hours a week)
  • Project feasibility, social media and our main connection with the professional world.
Discovery(3-5 hours a week)
  • Rotate across differrent teams as a mentee and find the best role for you. Choose your own path and pick up valuable skills that you are interested in.

Who you are

  • Anybody! Regardless of what you're studying or what year you're in, if you think you're a good fit, we encourage you to apply.
  • Reliable, eager to take initiative and can come up with creative solutions.
  • Willing to learn. We'll pick up new skills together!
  • Ready to have fun. We are a STUDENT design team. If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!

How we review

We read submissions on a rolling basis, and invite candidates to a short virtual meeting. Keep an eye on your inbox.

FAQ

Yes - follow our instagram @ubcthirdquadrant for updates.

Hiring 2026/27
Third Quadrant Design