WOODCHIPS
PROJECTS TO WATCH CANADA
IMAGE: Courtesy of the Government of British Columbia
Victoria, BC
The current Royal BC Museum in Victoria will close its doors this September, as a brand new museum will be rebuilt using mass timber. The new museum will be one of the first government projects of this size to include local First Nations on the team. First Nations will participate in both project development and delivery, including design influence to reflect the Lekwungen peoples and members of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. The new museum is expected to open in 2030.
Kelowna, BC
Faction Projects heads up the design for a four-story, mixed-use industrial/retail/office building in Kelowna’s north end. The Exchange, as it’s called, offers a vibrant marketplace, continuing the tradition of the Kelowna Growers Exchange, a farmers’ co-op originally conceived in 1913. The building’s retail space occupies the main floor, and the office and amenity space encompass the upper levels. The vaulted lobby offers a spacious and well-lit welcome for visitors, and a rooftop patio provides access to outdoor amenities and views of the surrounding valley. The building will feature NLT construction for the floor and roof panels, supported by a glulam or PSL post-and-beam substructure. It’s scheduled for completion in winter 2023.
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IMAGE: Courtesy of Smoke Architecture
Toronto, ON
Centennial College’s six-story, 150,000-sq.ft. addition to its existing Progress campus is moving along. The college collaborated with Smoke Architecture, DIALOG, and EllisDon to design and build the first zero-carbon, mass timber higher-education building in Canada. The building will demonstrate the college’s commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous education, and sustainable design. It’s due to open in 2023.
