Red Deer College Student Residence – Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer College (RDC) Student Residence is a 5,800-sq.m. (60,000-sq.ft.), five-storey wooden structure with 145 units, designed and completed to meet the 300-bed demand for the Canada Winter Games in early 2019. RDC envisioned a building that would be a welcoming, fun home base for students; the college was well aware that isolation and lack of community support for students have a negative influence on their ability to perform in the classroom and can negatively impact their mental health and well-being. The goal was to create a “residence” that felt more like a home.
Manasc Isaac Architects, led by Vedran Škopac, proposed a hybrid between a student residence and a set of seven distinct “public gathering spaces,” scattered around the perimeter of all five storeys of the building. As part of the plan, Škopac’s team increased the conventional amount of social space by a factor of 10. The residence also functions as a hotel, providing accommodation for short- and longterm visits.
Another design mandate was to incorporate sustainable features, which influenced the decision to utilize a wood structure with a high performance building envelope that maximizes thermal performance and comfort. With a construction budget of $18.5 million, funding allowed for photovoltaic panels cladding the east, south and west faces, which provides approximately 45 percent of all energy the student residence requires. Although the building was not aiming for certification, it was designed to a LEED Gold standard.
As an example of an innovative approach to dormitory housing, Red Deer College Student Residence prioritizes quality of life and sustainability, while using mass timber construction to achieve both goals. These are some of the reasons it won a 2019 Wood Design & Building Canadian Wood Council Award.
This case study examines two wood buildings, both with primary retail commercial occupancies, but which employ different mass timber products to achieve very different effects. Askew’s Uptown Supermarket in Salmon Arm, BC, features an expansive nail-laminated timber (NLT) roof that appears to float above the retail floor (Figure 1.1), while the Whistler Community Services Society Building in Whistler, BC, uses a robust, utilitarian exposed glued-laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure as befits the building’s industrial setting (Figure 1.2).
In April 2019 John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia, announced a new directive to require municipalities and the BC government to strongly consider the use of wood in public buildings, both as a structural material and for interior finishes. The goal of this initiative is to increase demand for BC’s wood products and to assist the forest industry in dealing with the significant impacts of climate change. To date, these have included the mountain pine beetle infestation and an increase in the frequency and severity of forest fires, both of which have had widespread negative consequences for the industry across the province.
When announcing the initiative, Premier Horgan stated: “We will expect the result to maximize the potential of the existing timber supply, maintain jobs, incorporate First Nations’ interests, and address the economic, cultural, recreational and other uses of BC’s land base.” New engineered mass timber products, supported by new legislation, now make it possible for wood to be used in a wide range of projects, both urban and rural.
This case study showcases two recent projects that illustrate the value and versatility of wood, both in its response to technical challenges and in its contribution to economic and social sustainability in communities around the province.
In Vancouver, Fire Hall No. 5 (Figure 1.1) is an example of an innovative response to rising land costs and the shortage of affordable social housing; while in the Kootenay village of Radium Hot Springs, a wealth of local wood products, manufacturing capabilities and craft skills combine in a community hall and library that can truly be called a ‘100-mile building’ (Figure 1.2).
Ontario’s first mass timber commercial building in over 100 years, 80 Atlantic pioneers a new urban office typology for potentially many more timber-frame projects across the province, and the country. Comprising four storeys of mass timber above a one-storey concrete podium, the 8,825-sq.m. (95,000-sq.ft.) building completes a courtyard with 60 Atlantic to create a paired commercial development. Revisions to the Ontario Building Code in 2015 made it possible to build commercial wood buildings up to six storeys high. The developer and architect saw this as an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the rapidly developing field of mass timber, and to attract tenants seeking a premium workplace environment associated with innovation and sustainability. The client requested that the building harmonize with the Liberty Village neighbourhood, noted for its wealth of converted factories and warehouses, which attract high-calibre, creative tenants in this section of downtown Toronto.
Mark Twain called Anne of Green Gables, “The sweetest creation of child life yet written.” He sent the author Lucy Maud Montgomery a letter of praise, congratulating her on her writing. This was over 100 years ago and, ever since, the story of Anne has captured the imaginations of people from all over the world.
Green Gables, the name of a 19th-century farm in Cavendish, Prince Ed – ward Island, is the setting for the popular Anne of Green Gables novels by L.M. Montgomery. The property has become one of the most visited Federal Parks in Canada, and an iconic tourist destination. Visitors travel here to reconnect with their own childhood memories of Anne, or to create new ones. Part of Parks Canada since the 1930s, the property includes the main Green Gables house, the Haunted Wood trail and Lovers Lane.
A 2015 study revealed a need for more exhibit space and enhanced amenities on site to not only tell the story of Anne, but also that of her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Parks Canada acted on the study by creating an extensive program which would be constructed in three distinct phases. Phase I was completed in the spring of 2017. The Green Gables Visitors’ Centre, Phase II, consisting of an exhibit hall, gift shop, ticket/ information areas, offices and new washrooms and lobby, was completed in the spring of 2019. Phase III was to decommission the temporary gift shop in Phase I and transform it into a new café and commercial kitchen.
In 2009, the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC) was amended to permit residential buildings of up to six storeys to be constructed in wood. Since then, through a five-year code process of consultation and research, the potential for expanding these provisions to other building occupancies has been under consideration at the national code level. Changes introduced in the 2015 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) and adopted in British Columbia in 2018, have expanded these provisions to office-type buildings, but also permit mixed-type occupancies on the first two storeys. As a result, wood building types now include office, residential, mercantile, assembly, low hazard or storage/ garage uses.
This case study examines two wood buildings, both with primary retail commercial occupancies, but which employ different mass timber products to achieve very different effects. Askew’s Uptown Supermarket in Salmon Arm, BC, features an expansive nail-laminated timber (NLT) roof that appears to float above the retail floor (Figure 1.1), while the Whistler Community Services Society Building in Whistler, BC, uses a robust, utilitarian exposed glued-laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure as befits the building’s industrial setting (Figure 1.2).
Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture – Sudbury, ON
Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture is the first new school of architecture to be built in Canada in 40 years. Its mandate is to provide a uniquely integrated, uniquely focused education to Indigenous, Anglophone, and Francophone students. It is the only school of architecture outside of Québec to offer French-language studio courses, and the first to include offices for Indigenous Elders, who play a central role in the school. The curriculum addresses resilient architecture and fabrication techniques for northern latitudes, with an emphasis on Indigenous culture, wood construction, local ecologies and resources, and design for the impact of climate change. The school is a didactic instrument with structural and HVAC design elements purposefully exposed in each of the various buildings. The multi-phase development of the McEwen school began with the adaptive reuse of the site’s two existing heritage structures. The two storey CPR ticket and telegraph building (circa 1914) became faculty offices and a boardroom, and the single-storey market building became a temporary studio before ultimately transforming into the fabrication laboratory once the new studio spaces were constructed. Phase two of the project included the construction of a 36,480 ft2 steel-and-concrete Studio Wing, and the new 15,670 ft2 CLT Library Wing which is the focus of this case study. By combining the two repurposed heritage buildings with 52,150 ft2 of new construction, the McEwen School of Architecture demonstrates the properties of wood, steel, concrete, and masonry construction, and illustrates to students the structural potential and aesthetic qualities of each.
IBS4 – Sustainability and Life Cycle Analysis for Residential Buildings
Environmental awareness in building design, construction and operation is stronger than ever. But how can we meet the world’s rapidly growing need for buildings and still be environmentally responsible? Although construction is never fully benign for the environment, designers and builders can make choices to minimize the impact. Wood plays an important part in sustainable design, as shown by scientific analysis.
Vertical Movement in Wood Platform Structures: Basics
Movement in structures due to environmental condition changes and loads must be considered in design. Temperature changes will cause movement in concrete, steel and masonry structures. For wood materials, movement is primarily related to shrinkage or swelling caused by moisture loss or gain when the moisture content is below 28% (wood fiber saturation point). Other movement in wood structures may also include: settlement (bedding-in movement) due to closing of gaps between members and deformation due to compression loads, including instantaneous elastic deformation and creep. Differential movement can occur where wood frame is connected to rigid components such as masonry cladding, concrete elevator shafts, mechanical services and plumbing, and where mixed wood products such as lumber, timbers, and engineered wood products are used.
Evidence from long-term wood frame construction practices shows that for typical light frame construction up to three storeys high, differential movement can be relatively easily accommodated such as through specifying “S-Dry” lumber. However, differential movement over the height of wood-frame buildings becomes a very important consideration for taller buildings due to its cumulative effect. The APEGBC Technical and Practice Bulletin provides general design guidance and recommends the use of engineered wood products and dimension lumber with 12% moisture content for floor joists to reduce and accommodate differential movement in 5 and 6-storey wood frame buildings. Examples of differential movement concerns and solutions in wood-frame buildings can also be found in the Best Practice Guide published by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Building Enclosure Design Guide –Wood Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings published by the Homeowner Protection Office of BC Housing.
This document illustrates the causes and other basic information related to vertical movement in wood platform frame buildings and recommendations on material handling and construction sequencing to protect wood from rain and reduce the vertical movement.
Vertical Movement in Wood Platform Structures: Design and Detailing Solutions
Most buildings are designed to accommodate a certain range of movement. In design, it is important for designers to identify locations where potential differential movement could affect structural integrity and serviceability, predict the amount of differential movement and develop proper detailing to accommodate it. To allow non-structural materials to be appropriately constructed, estimate of anticipated differential movement should be provided in the design drawings.
Simply specifying wood materials with lower MC at time of delivery does not guarantee that the wood will not get wet on construction sites and will deliver lower shrinkage amounts as anticipated. It is therefore important to ensure that wood does not experience unexpected wetting during storage, transportation and construction. Good construction sequencing also plays an important role in reducing wetting, the consequent wood shrinkage and other moisture-related issues.
Existing documents such as the APEGBC Technical and Practice Bulletin on 5- and 6-Storey Wood Frame Residential Building Projects, the Best Practice Guide published by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Building Enclosure Design Guide – Wood Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings published by the BC Housing- Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) provide general design guidance on how to reduce and accommodate differential movement in platform frame construction.
Vertical Movement in Wood Platform Structures: Movement Prediction
It is not possible or practical to precisely predict the vertical movement of wood structures due to the many factors involved in construction. It is, however, possible to obtain a good estimate of the vertical movement to avoid structural, serviceability, and building envelope problems over the life of the structure.
Typically “S-Dry” and “S-Grn” lumber will continue to lose moisture during storage, transportation and construction as the wood is kept away from liquid water sources and adapts to different atmospheric conditions. For the purpose of shrinkage prediction, it is usually customary to assume an initial moisture content (MC) of 28% for “S-Green” lumber and 19% for “S-Dry” lumber. “KD” lumber is assumed to have an initial MC of 15% in this series of fact sheets.
Different from solid sawn wood products, Engineered Wood Products (EWP) are usually manufactured with MC levels close to or even lower than the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in service. Plywood, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL), and Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) are usually manufactured at MC levels ranging from 6% to 12%. Engineered wood I-joists are made using kiln dried lumber (usually with moisture content below 15%) or structural composite lumber (such as LVL) flanges and plywood or OSB webs, therefore they are usually drier and have lower shrinkage than typical “S-Dry” lumber floor joists. Glued-laminated timbers (Glulam) are manufactured at MC levels from 11% to 15%, so are the recently-developed Cross-laminated Timbers (CLT). For all these products, low shrinkage can be achieved and sometimes small amounts of swelling can be expected in service if their MC at manufacturing is lower than the service EMC. In order to fully benefit from using these dried products including “S-Dry” lumber and EWP products, care must be taken to prevent them from wetting such as by rain during shipment, storage and construction. EWPs may also have lower shrinkage coefficients than solid wood due to the adhesives used during manufacturing and the more mixed grain orientations in the products, including the use of cross-lamination of veneers (plywood) or lumber (CLT). The APEGBC Technical and Practice Bulletin emphasizes the use of EWP and dimension lumber with 12% moisture content for the critical horizontal members to reduce differential movement in 5 and 6-storey wood frame buildings.
Canada’s Blueprint for Mass Timber Success Unveiled at Parliament Hill
June 13, 2024 (Ottawa)– Earlier today, The Transition Accelerator unveiled The Mass Timber Roadmap at the Press Conference Room in the West Block on Parliament Hill. The comprehensive report outlines an ambitious and strategic vision for the future of mass timber in Canada and its potential to transform green construction and drive economic growth across the country.
Developed in partnership with Canadian Wood Council (CWC), Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), and Energy Futures Lab (EFL), The Mass Timber Roadmap comes after more than a decade of collaborative efforts to unlock and demonstrate potential of mass timber and lays out a visionary plan to increase the mass timber market – both domestic and exports – to $1.2 billion by 2030 and to $2.4 billion by 2035.
This ambitious growth aligns with increasing market demand in North America and around the world. By leveraging the power of mass timber solutions, Canada has a unique opportunity to enable the construction of residential and commercial structures at greater speeds, with lower costs, and with a lighter carbon footprint; all while capturing a share of the rapidly growing global market.
Achieving targets laid out in The Mass Timber Roadmap requires coordinated efforts across three critical action areas and the report provides actionable next steps, including:
Public-Private Collaboration: The Mass Timber Roadmap calls for a partnership between public and private sectors to develop and advance a comprehensive policy package that will enhance the value of Canada’s forest resources while building domestic capacity along the supply chain.
Standardization: There is a need to standardize building archetypes, wood specifications, and connectors throughout the supply chain to streamline processes and reduce costs.
Skills Development: Implementing a robust skills development plan that encompasses all aspects of the supply chain is essential to support the sector’s growth.
Today’s event on Parliament Hill featured the following speakers who highlighted the roadmap’s goals and the promising future for mass timber in Canada, followed by an engaging Q&A session with journalists:
Derek Eaton, Director of Future Economy, The Transition Accelerator
Derek Nighbor, President and CEO, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Kate Lindsay, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Rick Jeffery, President and CEO, Canadian Wood Council (CWC)
“The mass timber sector provides a perfect example of how Canada can add value to its primary resources through innovative technologies and advanced skills. If we act strategically and quickly, we have the opportunity to build an industry that reduces emissions, addresses urgent needs, and positions Canada to win in emerging global value chains.” – Derek Eaton, The Transition Accelerator
“To build a world-class mass timber sector, Canada must adopt a strategic approach to ensure we can compete and win globally. This is about smart policy here at home and bringing more Canadian wood to our cities and to the world. By enabling faster, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly construction with mass timber we can grow jobs, help address the affordable housing crunch, and reduce emissions.” – Kate Lindsay, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
“The potential for Canadian wood products to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment and drive the growth of a sustainable and prosperous wood industry is immense; however, global competition to capitalize on the significant economic opportunities mass timber presents in the transition to a lower-carbon world will require us to act swiftly to stay competitive and meet rapidly emerging domestic demand.” – Rick Jeffery, Canadian Wood Council (CWC)
Red Deer College (RDC) Student Residence is a 5,800-sq.m. (60,000-sq.ft.), five-storey wooden structure with 145 units, designed and completed to meet the 300-bed demand for...
This case study examines two wood buildings, both with primary retail commercial occupancies, but which employ different mass timber products to achieve very different...
Ontario’s first mass timber commercial building in over 100 years, 80 Atlantic pioneers a new urban office typology for potentially many more timber-frame projects across...
Mark Twain called Anne of Green Gables, “The sweetest creation of child life yet written.” He sent the author Lucy Maud Montgomery a letter of praise, congratulating her...
In 2009, the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC) was amended to permit residential buildings of up to six storeys to be constructed in wood. Since then, through a five-year...
Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture is the first new school of architecture to be built in Canada in 40 years. Its mandate is...
Environmental awareness in building design, construction and operation is stronger than ever. But how can we meet the world’s rapidly growing need for buildings and still...
Movement in structures due to environmental condition changes and loads must be considered in design. Temperature changes will cause movement in concrete, steel and masonry...
Most buildings are designed to accommodate a certain range of movement. In design, it is important for designers to identify locations where potential differential movement...
It is not possible or practical to precisely predict the vertical movement of wood structures due to the many factors involved in construction. It is, however, possible to...
June 13, 2024 (Ottawa)– Earlier today, The Transition Accelerator unveiled The Mass Timber Roadmap at the Press Conference Room in the West Block on Parliament Hill. The...
