Projects
Masstimbercouldhelpsolvethehousingcrisis,saysarchitect
PROJECTS
Masstimbercouldhelpsolvethehousingcrisis,says architect
DonProcter
November30,2022
DON
AKitchener,Ont.-basedarchitectseesplentyofopportunitiesformasstimbertohelpsolvethe affordablehousingcrisis.
MattBolen,principalwithEDGEArchitects,saidthefirm’sdesignoftherecentlycompleted four-storeytransitionalhousingcomplexforwomeninKitchenerisacaseinpoint.
Deliveredinonlyoneyear,thenet-zero-readyprojectillustrateshowquicklymasstimberbuildingscan beconstructedfortherightpricewiththerightteam.
Amodularconstructeddesign,itfeaturescross-laminatedtimber(CLT)structuralelementsarrangedto maximizeefficienciesandminimizeinstallationtime.Panelsareroughly40feetlong,inthesamerange asprecasthollow-corepanels,buttheCLTpanelsarethreetimesaswideasprecastachievablepartly becauseofthelightweightofwood.
DONPROCTER—MattBolen,aprincipal withEDGEArchitects,hostedseminaratthe 2022TorontoWoodSolutionsConference hostedbytheCanadianWoodCouncil.
“That’sonethirdthenumberofpicksoffatruckandshouldalsorelatetocost(savings),”Bolentolda seminaraudienceontheprojectrecentlyatthe2022TorontoWoodSolutionsConferencehostedbythe CanadianWoodCouncil.
Headdedafundamentaldifferencewiththedesignandprecastisthemasstimberstructurehas“multi pointsofspanningacrossonepanellength.Itincreasesyourstiffnesssignificantlyandallowsyouto decreasethethicknessoftheproduct.
“Weknewwehadtobecompetitivewithotherstandardizedprojectsusingprecastandothermethods, butwewerealsocompetinginanRFPthathadanumberassociatedtoitandthathadshipping containergroupsrespondingtoit.”
Thechallengealsowastocreateabuildingthatisefficientoverthelongrunintermsofthecapitalcosts versusthepaybackonenergy
Gearedtowomenbattlinghomelessness,theprojectiscomprisedof41one-bedroomunitswithexposed masstimberinteriors.ItisoperatedbytheYWKitchener-Waterloo(KW),thelocalbranchoftheYMCA.
TheprojecthasreceivedfundingthroughtheCMHC’sRapidHousingInitiative.
“Itisnotanoverlycomplexprojectandthatwasanimportantpartofthedesign”tomeettherapid housingparameters,Bolensaid.
“Wehadtohavesomethingthatwouldbestreamlined.Asalotofusarchitectsandconstruction-minded folksknowconstructioncontractsareanimportantpartofwhatwedosotryingtochangethem,disrupt themorcomeupwithwildlydifferentcontractualarrangements”wouldn’twork.
Completingthedesign,approvalsandconstructioninonly12monthsseemed“prettyinsaneatthetime andIstilldon’tknowhowIconvincedourconstructionpartnerstoagreetoit,”hesaid.
FromtheoutsetEDGEretainedmasstimbermanufacturerElement5inadesign-assistroletohelppull togetherateamthatcouldrespondquicklytothetightschedule.
Whileassemblingconsultantsandcontractorswith“sharedinterests,alignedmotivations”wasastart, Bolensaidsecuringplayerswiththeexpertisetorespondtospecificsiteissueswasessentialaswell.
ThebuildingscienceexpertsatRDHwereinstrumentaltoYWKW’ssuccessinthefield,navigating throughthecomplexitiesoftheEIFSandmoisturecontrolsystems.
“Itissuchanimportantpiece.”
Bolenaddedonsuchpublicsectorprojects,havingteammemberswhounderstandthefinancingmodel, procurementandapprovalsprocessareequallyimportantintightbudget,rapidhousingprojects.
“Theprocesswefollowed,theteamwebuiltandIthinkthedesignandthequalityandwarmthofthe productreallyissignificant,”hetoldtheaudience.
HesaidYWKWisnota“one-off,”andthefirmwillleadonmorerapidhousingdesigns.Itrecently assistedR-HauzonarapidhousingprojectinEastGwillimburycalledPassageHouse.
EDGE’srapidhousingmodelevolvedoutofaprototypeforanofficebuildingwithalong-spansystem. OnthatprototypethefirmteamedupwithElement5ondesignbuttheproposalfellthroughwhenthe officemarkettankedduringthepandemic.
EDGE’sfirstexperiencewithmasstimberwasin2017onthedesignofamidriseresidenceinKitchener. Atthetimetherewasn’tenoughcertaintyonthecost,supplyandinstallationdetailsofmasstimberfor privatesectordeveloperstotakeontherisksothebuildingendedupbeingdesignedinahybridofCLT andHambrocompositesystems.
HeldattheParmountEventSpaceinWoodbridge,theday-longWoodSolutionsConferencefeatureda numberofseminarsandanexhibitorshall.
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