John Metras

Associate VP Facilities

John has over 20 years of experience in facilities development and operations including his previous roles as Managing Director, Infrastructure Development and Director of UBC Plant Operations (now Building Operations).

John has played an integral role in helping UBC evolve into a global leader in sustainability. He has worked on a wide range of initiatives including the Campus as a Living Lab program, the 20-Year Sustainability Strategy, LEED Platinum and LEED Gold certified building projects, and the development of the Brock Commons Tallwood House student residence.

John has a Bachelor of Engineering Science from the University of Western Ontario, a Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia, and is a registered Professional Engineer.

Contact information

Campus & Community Planning Building 1
2210 West Mall
Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4

Email: John.Metras@ubc.ca

Leadership vision

“I am an inclusive, action-oriented leader. I engage and empower my team and collaborate with stakeholders to build and maintain a safe, clean, sustainable and inspiring physical environment that has a long-term transformative impact on learning, research and campus life at UBC.”

John Metras
Associate Vice-President, Facilities

Updates related to UBC Facilities

  • Energy conservation measures implemented in I.K. Barber Learning Centre

    An energy conservation project was implemented to repair the heat pipe system in the main air handling units (AHUs) to improve thermal energy in the building. Upon completion, the building’s thermal energy demand has been reduced by ~22%, saving ~$11,000…

    Read more: Energy conservation measures implemented in I.K. Barber Learning Centre
  • Heat recovery chiller expansion in the Life Sciences Centre

    In 2021, a third chiller module was added to an existing two-module heat recovery chiller to maximize more recoverable heat in the building. This additional chiller module will recover 5800 GJ of heat per year, equivalent to reducing thermal consumption…

    Read more: Heat recovery chiller expansion in the Life Sciences Centre
  • Four newly funded projects aimed at boosting sustainability at UBC Vancouver

    Four new Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) sustainability projects have just been awarded a share of $200,000 in funding, and will be set in motion this year on the UBC Vancouver campus. All these projects show ways to improve…

    Read more: Four newly funded projects aimed at boosting sustainability at UBC Vancouver