Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Vancouver Council gets committed to innovation and environmental sustainable with measures to support more mass timber buildings.
“Mass timber is the building material of the future, and we’re thrilled that Vancouver and B.C. are at the forefront of this movement,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “It’s a game-changer, offering significant environmental benefits by reducing emissions compared to typical concrete buildings. It’s not only affordable and safe, but stands strong against fires and earthquakes. Embracing eco-friendly materials like mass timber isn’t just responsible – it’s a boost for our local economy, creating jobs right here in our community.” Mayor Ken Sim added further.
Mass timber incentives
The newly endorsed tools are designed to promote the construction of high-rise buildings using mass timber in Vancouver, supporting a shift towards more sustainable building practices.
A new rezoning incentive will offer additional height and floor area for mass timber buildings:
Buildings in areas that allow 8 to11 storeys can qualify for two additional storeys.
Buildings in areas that allow 12 or more storeys can qualify for three additional storeys.
A recent amendment to the Zoning & Development By-law introduces an incentive that increases the allowable height for mass timber structures, along with enhanced support during the pre-application phase.
Mass timber
B.C. is a global leader in mass timber production. Mass timber products are thick, compressed layers of wood, that are solid, and provide structural load-bearing components such as columns, beams and panels. Engineered for strength, they are typically manufactured off-site by fastening multiple layers of smaller dimension wood together with glue, dowels or nails. This approach means that large diameter trees are not needed to make mass timber.
Mass timber has the potential to reduce embodied emissions in construction by 25-45 per cent compared to typical concrete buildings. It offers cost-effectiveness, safety, fire resistance and seismic resilience, while being quicker to construct.
Source: EOS
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Tags: mass timber, sustainable construction, Vancouver, wood, wood and panel, woodworking, woodworking industry, woodworking USA
