Infrastructure
PassageHouseprojectprovidespathwayonhowtoexecuteRHIconstruction
INFRASTRUCTURE
PassageHouseprojectprovidespathwayonhowto executeRHIconstruction
DonProcter
February24,2023
R-HAUZ-PassageHouseinEastGwillimbury,Ont.isan18-unittransitionalhousingprojectthatwasdesignedandbuiltin sevenmonths.
An18-unittransitionalhousingprojectdesignedandbuiltinsevenmonthswithonlytwochange orderssetsastandardforotherhousingprojectsatatimewhenspeedofconstructionisa prerequisitetotacklingthedeepeninghousingaffordabilitycrisisinOntarioandCanada.
CalledPassageHouse,theresidenceinEastGwillimburyfortheBlueDoor,anemergencyhousing provider,wascompletedundertheCMHC’sRapidHousingInitiative(RHI)inmasstimberthrougha partnershipbetweenarchitectR-HauzSolutionsInc.andmasstimbermanufacturerElement5.
TheRHIaimstofundthousandsofnewaffordableresidencesforpeopledefinedasmostinneedunder theNationalHousingStrategy,andR-Hauz’smarketingmanagerFrancescaMacKinnonbelievesteams likeR-HauzandElement5canhelpitmeetitsgoals.
Acornerstonetosuccessisthe“repeatability”ofthedesignandconstructionmethodssofuturebuildings caneconomicallyandspeedilybeputup,shesays.
PatrickChouinard,Element5’svice-presidentofmarketstrategyandcommunications,agrees,adding themarketformasstimberintheaffordablehousingsegmentis“huge”andtherearefewdesign alternativesthatcancompeteforspeedofdelivery
“IfallElement5didwasaffordablehousingwecouldproduceabout3,200unitsayear.”
Hesayswhilevariousgovernmentlevelsarestrivingforsolutionstothehousingaffordabilityproblem, privateindustryhastotake“aleadershiprole”insolvingtheproblem.
R-Hauzhaspartneredwithanumberofnon-profitsinandaroundtheGreater TorontoAreatodomass timberresidencesundertheRHIincludinganeight-storeymasstimberprojectwithElement5for WoodGreenCommunityHousingonDanforthAvenue.
“Itiswhatwe(R-HauzandElement5)areattemptingtodo.”
R-HAUZ–Someofthesuccesstobuildingrapidaffordablehousingliesintheuseofmass timber.Butthemasstimbermodelisdependent“ontheintegrationofproductsandservices” atanearlyprojectdevelopmentstage.
Ithasalsoconsultedonaneight-storey,masstimberpilotprojectthroughtheCityofToronto’sMass TimberAffordableHousingprogram.
“Whywearegettinginterestasanaffordablehousingmodelisbecauseitisanoff-the-shelf,repeatable solutionthatcanbemodifiedforspecificcircumstancesandbuiltveryquickly,”saysChouinard,addingit fitstheRHI’sthirdphase(introducedlastfall)agenda,requiringprojectcompletionsof18months.
Chouinardsaysbycomparisonconventionalconstructionisoftennotapracticaloption.
“Ifweusetraditionalconstructionmethodsinwhicheverybuildingisaone-offthenwe’llneverbeableto satisfythedemandforaffordablehousing.”
Headdsdesign-buildprinciplesemployedatPassageHousefitforsmall-scalesupportivehousingin urbancentreswherelotsizesaresmall.
Thedesignstypicallyspecifycross-laminatedtimber(CLT)panelsforfloors,demisingwallsbetween units,elevatorshaftsandstairwells.Glulamelementsareusedwhereneeded.
Designanddetailwork,suchastheinterfacebetweentheexteriorpanelsandthestructureandhowCLT panelsintersectwiththefoundation,is“replicableacrossallprojects…sowedon’thavetoredrawallof that,”Chouinardpointsout.
Thesuccessofthemasstimbermodelforrapidhousing,however,isdependent“ontheintegrationof productsandservices”atanearlyprojectdevelopmentstage,headds.
Theconsortiumshouldincludethearchitect,generalcontractorandvariousconsultants,includingfire, envelope,mechanicalandacoustical.
“We’vebeenbuildingtheserelationshipswithR-Hauzfortwoorthreeyears.”
ELEMENT5–PicturedareCLTpanelsstackedforoneofElement5’saffordablehousing projects.Element5operatesaplantinSt.Thomas,Ont.
MacKinnonsaysR-Hauzemploysintegratedprojectdeliveryonallofitsmasstimberprojects,notjust affordablehousingones.
The“sweetspot”formasstimberissixstoreysorless.
“Thegreatestneedinthatsectorisaffordablehousing.”
Anythingbetweensixand12floorsrequiresahybridmodel,suchasconcreteforelevatorcores.
Chouinardsaysthegrowthofmasstimberhasmultipliedinafewyearsbutthesector’sgrowthrateis dependentondesignersandbuildersgainingfamiliaritywiththeprocess.
“Theopportunitiesarethere,it’sjustamatterofbuildingtheteams.”
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