Long-time champions of timber construction and Canadian practice Michael Green Architecture will soon break ground on North America's tallest wooden building. Standing at 27.5 meters, the Wood Innovation Design Center (WIDC), Prince George, British Columbia, will exhibit wood as a sustainable building material widely available around the globe, and aims to improve the local lumber economy while standing as a testament to new construction possibilities.
The structure will contain a mezzanine level, classrooms, offices, and a public gallery on the ground floor dedicated to the palpable experience of wood, lounges, and a rooftop deck. Owned by the state, the project will also house the University of Northern British Columbia’s Masters of Engineering program, in addition to private office and public spaces.
The structure will be made almost entirely of wood, save for metal connections and a concrete foundation. Even the elevator core, which is traditionally made in concrete, will be made of thick timber panels whose density and size afford the appropriate fire-rating characteristics. The framing system allows for a greater façade transparency, accepting natural light and extending views with a low-emissivity glass skin and opaque timber screens that help control solar gain. Floor and ceiling slabs will be composed of mass timber panels (MTP) that provide lateral stability in addition to eliminating the need for surface finishes, and provide for many new design opportunities for future wood constructs.
Video walk-through:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S2F3ssM61E0#!
(http://www.designboom.com/architecture/michael-green-architecture-widc-north-americas-tallest-wood-building/)
Related Stories
| Aug 8, 2013
Top Science and Technology Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Skanska, DPR, Suffolk top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest science and technology sector contractors and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Aug 8, 2013
Level of Development: Will a new standard bring clarity to BIM model detail?
The newly released LOD Specification document allows Building Teams to understand exactly what’s in the BIM model they’re being handed.
| Aug 8, 2013
Vertegy spins off to form independent green consultancy
St. Louis-based Vertegy has announced the formation of Vertegy, LLC, transitioning into an independent company separate from the Alberici Enterprise. The new company was officially unveiled Aug. 1, 2013
| Aug 5, 2013
Top Retail Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Callison, Stantec, Gensler top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest retail architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
| Aug 5, 2013
Top Retail Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, AECOM, Henderson Engineers top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest retail engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the United States.
| Aug 5, 2013
Retail market shows signs of life [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Retail rentals and occupancy are finally on the rise after a long stretch in the doldrums.
| Aug 5, 2013
Top Retail Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Shawmut, Whiting-Turner, PCL top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest retail contractor and construction management firms in the United States.
| Aug 2, 2013
Michael Baker Corp. agrees to be acquired by Integrated Mission Solutions
Michael Baker Corporation (“Baker”) (NYSE MKT:BKR) announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Integrated Mission Solutions, LLC (“IMS”), an affiliate of DC Capital Partners, LLC (“DC Capital”).
| Jul 31, 2013
Hotel, retail sectors bright spots of sluggish nonresidential construction market
A disappointing recovery of the U.S. economy is limiting need for new nonresidential building activity, said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker in the AIA's semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast, released today. As a result, AIA reduced its projections for 2013 spending to 2.3%.
| Jul 30, 2013
Better planning and delivery sought for VA healthcare facilities
Making Veterans Administration healthcare projects “better planned, better delivered” is the new goal of the VA’s Office of Construction and Facilities Management.