The Brock Commons at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver has been topped off, making it the world’s tallest wood building. The 18-story tower, a student residence, was completed in less than 70 days using prefabricated components. The project was completed four months earlier than expected.
With a concrete podium and two concrete cores, the wood tower is 14 stories taller than any other mass timber, steel and concrete hybrid project in the world. The building was designed by Acton Ostry Architects in collaboration with structural engineers Fast + Epp and tall wood advisor Architekten Hermann Kaufmann of Austria.
“Taller wood buildings offer tremendous economic and environmental benefits,” states Cees de Jager, general manager of the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, in the press release. “The lessons learned at Brock Commons will help transform the built environment in Canada and around the world.”
Watch a time-lapse video of the construction here:
In related news:
7 Comments
Code reference plz. Can't be done in the good old us of a, so code ref plz.
^Codes are different up North of the American border. There are a few of these currently in construction.
The Canadian national code is changing to allow 6 storeys. This building is a test project that took years of convincing the authorities to allow. One of my concerns is how much differential shrinkage is going to happen once the wood loses some of its moisture. A 4-storey building can lose an inch. Crazy.
We had the same conversation in my office a few weeks ago. Perhaps because it's a student residence and not a condo they can afford to chance it?
Any idea how the wood was fire treated?
^the wood was impregnated with ABDB[TYPEV] - Astoria Building Designer Blood. That type of FP has a 24 hour rating. As nothing, no matter how hard you try, can penetrate that level of dense.
Jla... I may be wrong, but I believe that it's considered sprinklered heavy-timber construction and I do not believe they need to add anything more (wood columns outlast steel anyways when heated) although the stairs are concrete. Perhaps someone here has actually been to the seminars will chime in.
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