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Thursday, November 14, 2024

World’s tallest mass timber building proposed for Vancouver

A mass timber tower slated for West 8th Avenue and Pine Street in Vancouver will be the tallest wood building in the world once complete.

Delta Land Development and Perkins+Will Architects, along with Urban One Builders, have unveiled the concept for the tower, known as 8th and Pine

The building is a mixed-use, hybrid Mass Timber podium and tower project designed to be up to 34 storeys tall. 

Pineview Mass Timber tower interior
Interior rendering of a residential unit at Pineview. Credit: Perkins + Will
Pineview Mass Timber tower Vancouver
Rendering of Pineview, a mixed-use, hybrid Mass Timber podium and tower project proposed in Vancouver. Credit: Perkins + Will

An official rezoning or development application has not yet been filed with the City of Vancouver.

If approved, Pineview would be taller than any other structures in the Burrard Slopes neighbourhood, where most buildings max out at around 15 storeys. The proposed tower is expected to be granted additional height due to its innovative wood construction, as well as the site’s proximity to the Broadway SkyTrain extension.

GHL Consultants, Glotman Simpson, StructureCraft, RDH and Integral Group are consulting on the project. 

UBC student residence currently the world’s tallest wood building

The 18-storey Brock Commons student residence on UBC’s Vancouver campus currently holds the title of the tallest wood building in the world.

The building was completed in 2017 and was built at a speed of two floors per week, using prefabricated façade panels, glulam columns and CLT floor slabs.

UBC Tall Wood Building
The Tall Wood building at UBC is home to more than 400 students. Credit: University of British Columbia
UBC Brock Commons Tall Wood Building construction
Construction of the Brock Commons Tallwood House student residence at UBC. Credit: Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
UBC Brock Commons Tall Wood Building construction progress
Construction of the Brock Commons Tallwood House student residence at UBC. Credit: Acton Ostry Architects Inc.

The entire construction process was completed in 18 months, compared to 22 months for a similar concrete structure.

It houses more than 400 students in 33 four-bedroom suites and 272 studio suites, and was designed by Acton Ostry Architects Inc., in collaboration with structural engineers Fast + Epp, tall wood advisor Architekten Hermann Kaufmann of Austria, and Structurlam of Penticton, B.C.

Urban One Builders completed the construction.

Terrace House hybrid timber building on the rise

Currently under construction in Coal Harbour, the 19-storey Terrace House tower, designed by Shigeru Ban, will be the world’s tallest hybrid timber structure once complete — one storey taller than the UBC student residence.

The luxury condominium tower contains 20 homes with vertical and horizontal wood structural beams and columns set against a minimalist design.

Terrace House PortLiving exterior
Tower exterior of Terrace House, designed by Shigeru Ban. Credit: PortLiving
Terrace House PortLiving exterior
Tower exterior of Terrace House, designed by Shigeru Ban. Credit: PortLiving
Terrace House PortLiving patio
Patio at Terrace House, designed by Shigeru Ban. Credit: PortLiving

B.C. allows wood buildings up to 12 storeys

In March of 2019, the provincial government announced it was increasing the height limit for wood buildings from six to 12 storeys.

The changes to the B.C. building code come one year ahead of expected changes to the national building code, where the height limit is also expected to be increased to 12 storeys.

The changes are voluntary for municipalities. Local governments must meet the following conditions in order to be eligible to construct wood buildings above six storeys:

  • council support
  • planning, development and fire department support
  • lead building official holds a Level 3 Certification from the Building Officials’ Association of BC;
  • Land-use bylaws support buildings greater than six storeys in height

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Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner is an experienced journalist and media relations professional, based in Vancouver. As founder of urbanYVR.com, he has been reporting on urban development across the Lower Mainland since 2016, and has also served as vice-chair of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee. In October 2022, he was elected to Vancouver city council and is no longer actively reporting for urbanYVR.

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