WOODCHIPS
PROJECTS TO WATCH CANADA Saanich, BC
hcma heads up the design of the Fire Station #2 Redevelopment. The structure will use a steel and timber post-and-beam system supporting CLT floors, a CLT roof suspended from glulam beams, and a mass timber shear wall. The new two-story, 2,190-sq.m structure will replace the current one-story, 353-sq.m building. Completion is scheduled for 2023.
Castlegar, BC
PHOTO: Courtesy of Cover Architectural Collaborative Inc.
Kelowna, BC
Faction Architecture Inc. will design The Exchange, a fourstory mixed‐use industrial/retail/office building in Kelowna’s downtown. The project will feature NLT construction for the floor and roof panels supported by a glulam or PSL post-andbeam substructure. The project will meet Step Three of the BC Energy Step Code, the highest level attainable for this type of building in the region. Completion is scheduled for winter 2023.
Banff, AB
Drilling to excavate and construct bridge pilings for the Nancy Pauw Bridge has begun. The $5.5-million bridge will span the river without touching the water. With up to 8,000 crossings a day expected on foot, bicycle, and skateboard, the new bridge will provide a faster route for commuters. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion, as well as provide a lookout point for visitors. The official opening of the bridge is expected to occur this fall.
Saskatoon, SK
The Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce $5-million, multi-use, Passive House–certified building is scheduled to break ground this summer. Cover Architectural Collaborative Inc. heads up the project, which will house the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, Destination Castlegar, the West Kootenay Gateway Visitor Centre, and a satellite branch of Community Futures. It will also include co-working spaces, a large collective space for community events and gatherings, tech-charging stations, a boardroom, and meeting and office spaces for rent. PHOTO: Courtesy of Formline Architecture
Vancouver, BC
The First National Health Authority’s Metro Vancouver Office will be constructed primarily in mass timber. This six-story facility, located on the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Land in North Vancouver, will pay homage to the Coast Salish people by evoking the plank house tradition. It will be built of glulam beams and CLT floor and roof panels. Although the building is mainly an office, it will also include social spaces for meetings, gatherings, cultural activities, education, and demonstrations. Completion is scheduled for 2023.
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Saskatoon has a new central library in the works. The design concept is by Formline Architecture, Chevalier Morales, and Architecture 49. The 136,000-sq.ft. project – which pulls inspiration from First Nations and Métis architecture – will be located in downtown Saskatoon. The exterior of the building references the traditional Plains First Nations tipi, made up of flat modular insulated metal panels, creating a curved appearance. The interior mass timber structure references the Métis’ log cabin, supported by a secondary wood and steel structure, with exposed wood columns and wood ceilings. The library is scheduled to open in 2026.
