Course Overview
There are currently a number of planned new school projects throughout British Columbia that require either three ‐ or four‐storey buildings, and this demand is increasing as land values continue to rise. Though timber construction offers a viable option for these buildings, code constraints have limited timber schools to a maximum of two storeys while also imposing overall floor area limitations. Consequently, the development of viable structural options for larger timber school buildings has lagged. This session will explore the range of possible timber construction approaches for school buildings up to four storeys in height within a seismic region.
Learning Objectives
- 21st century school planning principles and their impact on timber building construction.
- Timber vertical load‐bearing systems with a focus on the technical considerations and architectural implications related to school buildings.
- Timber lateral force‐resisting systems with a focus on the technical considerations and architectural implications related to school buildings.
- Comparison of a few possible design concepts for four‐storey timber school buildings.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Nick Bevilacqua
Associate Principal
Fast + Epp
With 15 years of industry experience, Nick has a broad experience base that enables him to be fluent in all building types and primary structural materials. Nick has considerable experience in the education sector, and is currently working on a number of schools throughout the province that feature various configurations and degrees of timber construction.
Ray Wolfe
Partner
Thinkspace Architecture Planning and Interior Design
Ray is an architect and partner at Thinkspace Architecture Planning and Interior Design. He is an award‐winning architect with a focus on institutional and specifically education projects. As a practicing architect, Ray has been involved in advancing the knowledge of topics such as modular construction, school area standards and a variety of studies involving the use of wood in schools with the Ministry of Education, FII and Wood WORKS!. Ray believes passive sustainable strategies and the use of wood play an important role in the next generation of education buildings in Canada.