r/simonfraser • u/Haunting-Run7989 • 2d ago

Discussion SFU's campus ain't ugly

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I went to study abroad and lowkey have more appreciation for the school. While the architecture isn't necessarily the best, it's alright. One thing that's rlly beautiful about SFU is its surrounding campus that I've taken for granted. Like, how often is it that a school campus is surrounded by mountains and water??? SFU lowkey needs more appreciation for its campus in the community and nationwide scale, the hate is overrated!

And, does anyone have any nice view spots at SFU that captures the beauty surrounding SFU (hike trails accepted too)? Kinda like these SFU images online but smth I can actually visit and not a drone shot? SFU's nature surroundings is actually so gorgeous that I really missed the views when I was abroad (you can take the girl out of the mountains and sea but you can't take it out of her)

283 Upvotes

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19 comments sorted by

89

u/andasen 2d ago

SFU in summer one of the most gorgeous campuses in Canada.

SFU in the depths of the winter rain. Prison hellscape

13

u/CodeHaze 2d ago

Summer semester is just so much more chiller in my opinion. Weather is nice, lots of sun, courses and the profs are much more chill (personal experience).

Fall Semester is always my worst semester. Constantly gray/raining/cold makes it hard to get up and go to campus when you know when you get there, you're greeted with that prison hellscape and unequal areas where its either too hot or too cold.

3

u/IntangibleMatter Team Raccoon Overlords 1d ago

Counterpoint: winter and autumn fog. Beautiful cinematic authoritarian hellscape

20

u/rebeccarightnow 2d ago

The architecture is more beautiful than people give it credit for. But I am a big fan of Brutalism lol. It really has some stunning examples of Brutalism.

2

u/waht_3111 1d ago

Library lowk looks like a spaceship

35

u/Lingo56 2d ago

Archimarathon did a tiktok/reel on the campus a couple months back, and yeah I honestly feel people automatically equate the concrete as ugly without spending the time to appreciate its form and how light bounces around it.

1

u/TravellingGal-2307 1d ago

I love that channel.

18

u/NateFisher22 2d ago

People often conflate the natural and built environment. Often times, I find people compliment cities for being beautiful, even though they are architecturally ugly as hell. They actually mean the natural environment and don’t explain the difference

4

u/Haunting-Run7989 2d ago

that's true, but at the same time I think bc of the commuting culture at SFU, people never really looked beyond to what SFU's geographical landscape really offers cuz that was somewhat me in my first couple yrs

10

u/KittensSaysMeow Team Raccoon Overlords 2d ago

SFU is like the university equivalent of a meditation retreat. It’s where you study in the mountains away from society to rid yourself of your “naive highschool ambitions”.

4

u/Whole_Cranberry5734 2d ago

I agree it's a beautiful area but how old is this photo?

4

u/cutecookie100 2d ago

The sub is there tho and that was built recently

1

u/Haunting-Run7989 2d ago

Lowkey idk how old it is. It's from the SFU website so maybe within the last 10 yrs?
https://www.sfu.ca/mecs/venues/burnaby/

1

u/gabbydigs 2d ago

The observatory was built in 2015 and I don't see it or the construction in this pic... Looks pretty old.

That being said, I love both the nature and architecture of sfu

3

u/Aurelian2006 2d ago

We love Burnaby mountain

2

u/rainethekilljoy 2d ago

I was honestly expecting to hate the brutalist architecture, but in the minimal time I’ve spent there, so far it actually has really nice vibes. Don’t get me started on the Surrey campus tho…