Wood Chips

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.

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.

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.

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

PHOTO: Courtesy of Formline Architecture

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.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Diamond Schmitt Architects

Guelph, ON

The Guelph Public Library Board of Directors has approved the schematic design for the new central library designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects. The new library will provide collections, archives, and community amenities. The 85,000-sq.ft., three-story building includes 160 below-grade parking spots. Construction is expected to start in late 2023.

Hamilton, ON

PHOTO: Courtesy of Kearns Mancini Architects Inc.

The Bay Cannon Affordable Housing building is currently in the design phase by Kearns Mancini Architects Inc. The 55-unit, 53,000-sq.ft., mid-rise affordable housing building will feature a combination of one- and three-bedroom units with amenity space on the ground floor and a large exterior amenity outdoor garden space. The building is designed to meet Passive House standards: a high-performance airtight envelope, tripleglazed windows, and zero thermal.

Clarington, ON

In 2019, Ontario Power Generation announced its plan to establish a new corporate headquarters in the Municipality of Clarington, east of Toronto; the hydro company will move all its non-station-based positions in Toronto and in Niagara and Durham regions to this new facility. Lett Architects Inc. will provide design services and perform the compliance design package with CIMA+. The three-story, net zero, 200,000-sq.ft. campus is being designed as a low-slung mass timber structure with Bird Construction. It’s scheduled for completion in 2024.

Peterborough, ON

Lett Architects Inc. heads up the design for the new Canadian Canoe Museum. The two-story, 65,000-sq.ft. facility will be a space for the museum’s collection and activities. There will be a 17,000-sq.ft. exhibition hall for new exhibits. It is scheduled for completion in 2023.

UNITED STATES

Delafield, WI

Ground has been broken in Delafield for its first mass timber building, The Grain. The $25-million development was designed by Johnson Design Inc. The two-building project includes 60,000 sq.ft. of office space, 18,000 sq.ft. of retail space, and 125 parking spaces. The site was formerly occupied by a gas station. Tenants are expected to move in by summer 2023.

Milwaukee, WI

A mass timber riverfront Milwaukee apartment tower project, The Edison, has received further city approval. The 15-story building will have 194 units and will include an indoor parking structure, a second-floor outdoor patio deck, and 15,600 sq.ft. of commercial space on two levels. Construction is scheduled to start by the end of this year.

Bardstown, KY

PHOTO: Courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects

Cedar Creek Quarry is a 420-acre piece of land in Bardstown. After pandemic- and leadership-related delays, it will soon become home to the Kentucky Owl Park, which will feature a new distillery, rickhouses, and a number of visitor amenities. The amenities – including a visitor center, a bar and restaurant, a hotel, and a train station to transport visitors to the area’s various distilleries – are still being configured. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this spring.

INTERNATIONAL

Awaji, Hyogo, Japan

Shigeru Ban Architects’ mass timber retreat, called Zenbo Seinei, is nearing completion. Located on Awaji Island, the structure measures 90 m in length and 7.2 PHOTO: Courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects m in width. It features a 100 m-long wooden deck, designed as an open-air platform for zazen (seated meditation). Zenbo Seinei also contains accommodations and a restaurant. It is set to open in the spring.

Sydney, Australia

PHOTO: Courtesy of 3XN

The Sydney Fish Market, located in Blackwattle Bay in Pyrmont – about 2 km west of Sydney’s business district – is the third largest fish market in the world. The 65,000-sq.m renovation project was commissioned from Danish design firm 3XN, working with local firms BVN, GXN Innovation, and Aspect Studios. It will take about 1,600 m3 of spruce glulam and over 150 tons of steel to manufacture the large roof that floats above the market. It is scheduled for completion this year.

Tarpeena, South Australia

Ground has been broken at Timberlink’s NeXTimber manufacturing facility at Tarpeena. Once completed, the $63-million project will occupy 15,000 sq.m. This will be Australia’s first combined CLT and GLT manufacturing plant.

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