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PHOTOS: Didier Boy de la Tour

2020 INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR WOOD ARCHITECTURE

Due to pandemic-related delays, the nominees for the third annual IAWA (featured in the Spring/Summer 2020 issue) had to wait more than a year for the award announcement at this July’s International Wood Construction Forum in Paris. Three projects for each region are nominated by the editors of six international wood magazines: Lignum (Sweden), Mikado (Germany), PUU (Finland), Séquences Bois (France), Trä! (Sweden) and Wood Design & Building (North America). After independent scoring, the jurors participate in a teleconference to discuss the finalists. Not surprisingly, the jurors selected the Swatch Omega Headquarters by Shigeru Ban (Biel, Switzerland). As one of the largest hybrid mass timber projects in the world – more than 500,000 sq.ft. – the structures are a testament to Ban’s masterful approach to using wood. Collectively, the three buildings on the campus use 162,000 cu.ft. of Swiss spruce, including a dramatic, curved gridshell roof that consists of 7,700 timber pieces. Another session of the awards will be announced next year. For details about the conference in France, scheduled for April 2022, visit: forum-boisconstruction.com.

PROJECTS TO WATCH

CANADA

Adera Development is planning its second mass timber rental building in North Vancouver at 1220 St. Georges Ave. Six storeys will provide 58 homes, six of which will be offered at mid-market rates for the life of the building. Amenities include a rooftop social space, an outdoor dog washing station, parking for 93 bicycles and a bicycle repair area.

800 Granville is another exciting proposal for Vancouver. The block-long project designed by Perkins&Will incorporates several heritage facades and the existing Commodore Ballroom, with retail/ commercial space on the lower levels and a 16-storey office tower. On the fourth level, a restaurant and outdoor promenade will span the length of the building, with a wood soffit indicating the use of structural timber. A rezoning application was filed in August, with updates pending.

Also in August, a plan was submitted for a mass timber six-storey, mixed-use building at 1650 Dupont St. in Toronto, with 30 residential suites. Gabriel Fain Architects designed the CLT structure with shou sugi ban (charred) wood siding and an Asianinspired interior courtyard, featuring a Japanese maple as its centerpiece.

UNITED STATES

In Nashville, construction for 1030 Music Row is progressing quickly. The building recently topped out, and the opening is planned for early next year. Tuck Hinton Architecture and Turner Construction worked with StructureCraft to develop the five-storey, 122,000-sq.ft. mass timber and steel office building. The superstructure uses prefabricated spruce DLT panels on glulam columns and beams, with a central structural steel core as the lateral load resisting system. The steel core was erected first so that the CLT elevator shaft could be dropped in from the top after the first four levels were in place. Fully exposed on both sides, the 7-in.-thick CLT walls provide the necessary fire rating for the shaft; the walls are close to 40 ft. tall, requiring only one splice to go from level one to the roof. The glass skin will show off the timber interiors. Several interesting videos of the construction process can be found at: vimeo.com/crestonparker.

In Portland, Guerrilla Development is a small firm that supports affordable housing projects. One of the firm’s latest projects in the city, scheduled to start construction next year, is Great Scott Trio, a four-storey mixed-use building that will utilize light-frame construction and open-air common areas, including a central courtyard, for passive natural ventilation and cooling. The 40 apartments will be affordable housing, with several apartments reserved for teens that are aging out of Oregon’s foster care system.

INTERNATIONAL

After winning a competition this summer, Danish studio Adept Architects will be constructing one of Germany’s largest CLT buildings in the center of Hamburg, a public administration office complex that is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Many more Projects to Watch can be found in the Wood Design & Building eNewsletter.