The Ultimate Travel Guide to Off Campus Filming Locations: Campuses, Rinks, and More
The transition of Elle Kennedy’s smash BookTok hockey romance from dog-eared paperbacks to streaming screens brought Briar University into sharp, physical focus. When Prime Video greenlit Off Campus, readers immediately began hunting for the collegiate quadrangles, drafty ice rinks, and cozy coastal diners that framed the combustible romance between Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells. As confirmed by the CN Traveller Report on regional production hubs, the fictional New England institution was brought to life across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.
Instead of constructing sterile studio replicas on a soundstage, directors anchored the production in British Columbia's distinctive blend of Gothic revival masonry, rain-swept waterfronts, and vintage municipal sporting facilities. For fans planning self-guided tours across the Pacific Northwest, here is the verified itinerary of real-world locations that built the cinematic world of Briar University.
📌 Key Takeaways:
- The Real Briar University: Campus exterior and interior sequences were split between historic structures at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Point Grey and architectural pockets around Burnaby and Langley.
- The Hockey Venues: On-ice sequences avoided massive NHL arenas, utilizing community rinks in Richmond, Burnaby, and Langley to mirror the gritty charm of NCAA Division I hockey.
- The Teen Drama Legacy: The production leaned heavily on established film corridors, using heritage storefronts in Langley that previously doubled as Riverdale sets.
Mapping Briar University Across Greater Vancouver
Briar University presents an East Coast Ivy League aesthetic: red brick facades, manicured lawns, arched stone pathways, and vaulted library ceilings. Because genuine New England campuses rarely permit long production windows during active semesters, location managers targeted British Columbia’s premier academic centers.
The bulk of collegiate exterior shots were mounted at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Point Grey campus, just west of Vancouver. The production team framed the I.K. Barber Learning Centre and surrounding heritage quadrangles to stand in for Briar’s administrative heart. Tight camera angles cropped out modern glass structures, keeping the lens trained on early 20th-century stone masonry.
For lecture hall walkouts and dramatic hallway confrontations, crews worked at Simon Fraser University and nearby regional institutions. Simon Fraser's brutalist architecture was used sparingly, reserving its angular walkways for transitional steps between student housing and athletic facilities. The resulting patchwork convincingly replicates an exclusive, century-old Massachusetts college town.
Where the Ice Action Happened: Community Arenas and Practice Sheets
In the *Off Campus* universe, hockey is not merely a subplot; it dictates Garrett Graham’s schedule, psychological pressure, and eventual vulnerability. Finding ice sheets capable of handling multi-camera setups, choreographing aggressive checking drills, and managing intense lighting rigs required specialized infrastructure.
Rather than booking Rogers Arena, home of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, production coordinators booked multi-pad civic facilities across the Lower Mainland. The George Preston Recreation Centre in Langley and arenas around Richmond provided the heavy lifting for both practice sessions and high-stakes regular season match-ups. Community arenas offered authentic dasher boards, authentic locker room tunnels, and raw acoustics that capture the sound of skates cutting into fresh ice.
Shooting on real ice demanded grueling overnight schedules. Production teams typically secured rinks from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM to avoid disrupting youth leagues, running dynamic skating drills with NCAA-caliber doubles who brought Kennedy’s athletic sequences to life under heavy arena lighting.
The Riverdale Connection and Shared Heritage Streetscapes
Longtime viewers of Pacific Northwest television will experience acute déjà vu watching Hannah and Garrett slip out for coffee or late-night bites. The production made extensive use of Fort Langley, a historic village along the Fraser River known across the film industry as the visual foundation for The CW's *Riverdale*.
Elite Daily highlighted this crossover, observing that several off-campus storefronts and rustic backdrops appeared in both productions. Fort Langley’s wooden boardwalks, heritage frontages, and small-town charm served as the fictional suburban enclave bordering Briar’s gated perimeter.
When Hannah stops by quiet local diners or Garrett dodges athletic boosters on downtown sidewalks, the cameras were rolling within the same two-block radius that once hosted Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper. The production altered neon signage and exterior window decals, but the Pacific Northwest architecture remains instantly recognizable.
Field Guide to Off Campus Filming Sites
Planning an itinerary to visit the real-world spots featured in the adaptation requires navigating both academic campuses and regional suburbs. The table below outlines the core filming locations, their real-world addresses, and their narrative functions across Season 1.
| In-Show Location | Real-World Venue | Municipal Area | Notable Scene Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briar Main Quad & Library | UBC Point Grey Campus | Vancouver, BC | Study sessions, campus walks, and library study carrels |
| Briar Hockey Arena | George Preston Rec Centre | Langley, BC | Garrett’s team practices, locker room tensions, and home games |
| Off-Campus Town Streets | Fort Langley Heritage District | Township of Langley, BC | Walks between classes, date nights, and coffee shop scenes |
| The Off-Campus Fraternity House | Private Residential Property | New Westminster, BC | The shared athletes' house, rowdy parties, and late-night porch talks |
Off-Screen Hangouts: Diners, Coffee Shops, and Waterfronts
No BookTok adaptation is complete without quiet, character-focused micro-locations: late-night coffee joints, post-practice burger bars, and peaceful waterfront strolls that punctuate Garrett and Hannah's developing bond.
Travel and Leisure Asia observed that local food establishments around Commercial Drive and Gastown provided the interior backdrops for off-campus hangouts. Indie coffee roasters with brick backsplashes and vintage booth seating matched the cozy aesthetic demanded by Kennedy's prose. While several small eateries were redressed solely for shoot days, their exterior entrances remain popular photo stops for visitors.
Waterfront talks were captured along False Creek and English Bay during shoulder-season weather. The grey, cloud-filtered Pacific Northwest lighting gave Briar University a moody, autumn atmosphere, selling the illusion of a crisp New England November even when filming during mild Canadian springs.
Behind the Scenes: Production Logistics and Season 2 Prospects
Filming an episodic series focused on athletics involves complex logistical choreography. Cast members underwent intense skating clinics for six weeks prior to principal photography, mastering stickhandling fundamentals to ensure close-up coverage matched the tempo of actual college competition.
Vancouver’s deep bench of stunt coordinators, ice technicians, and sports camera operators made the region an obvious pick for Prime Video. The province offers competitive tax credits, but the deciding factor was infrastructure: soundstages within 30 minutes of regulation rinks and world-class universities.
With Elle Kennedy's sequels (*The Mistake*, *The Score*, and *The Goal*) waiting in the wings, early pre-production indicators suggest British Columbia will remain the official home of the franchise. Retaining the established campus geography ensures visual continuity as focus shifts to Logan, Dean, and Tucker in future installments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Is Briar University an actual college in Massachusetts?
A1: No. Briar University is entirely fictional, created by author Elle Kennedy as a competitive New England college. The television production filmed the campus scenes across academic institutions in British Columbia, predominantly the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Q2: Can visitors tour the ice rink where Garrett Graham plays?
A2: Yes. The George Preston Recreation Centre and other community ice sheets featured in the show are public recreation venues. Visitors can attend public skating sessions or drop by during local junior hockey games throughout the season.
Q3: Did the show film entirely on location, or were soundstages used?
A3: The production utilized a hybrid setup. While campus exteriors, residential facades, and game sequences were shot on location in Vancouver and Langley, student dorm rooms and smaller apartment interiors were built on local production soundstages.
Navigating the Briar Trail in 2026
Vancouver's reign as Hollywood North continues to evolve, drawing international travelers who want to stand where their favorite characters crossed paths. The *Off Campus* tour offers an accessible itinerary, linking dense urban architecture with quiet, riverside heritage towns across the Lower Mainland.
Fans making the trip should rent a car to bridge the distance between Vancouver’s Point Grey campus and the outer rinks of the Fraser Valley. Pack a sturdy umbrella, pick up a hot coffee in Fort Langley, and explore the concrete corridors and chilled ice surfaces that transformed a viral romance novel into a screen sensation.
