Plans are underway to construct one of the tallest wood buildings in the world. The University of British Columbia will soon be building a new residence building that will stand 174 feet tall. The 18 story tall wood student residence building will be home to 404 students in a mixture of studios and four-bedroom units. The building will also provide students with study and social gathering spaces and a lounge.
(Design plan for the new 18 story UBC residence building. Photo credit: Acton Ostry Architects)
Project plans describe the building consisting of a mass timber structure above a concrete base. UBC aims for the building to be certified at the LEED Gold level or higher.
The tall wood building will consist of a mass timber superstructure atop a concrete base. Wood is a sustainable and versatile building material that stores, rather than emits, carbon dioxide. UBC aims for the building to achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification.
The project is managed by UBC Properties Trust. The project architect is Acton Ostry Architects, who is working closely with the tall wood advisor Architekten Hermann Kaufmann from Austria. Fast + Epp is the structural engineer.
Funding contributions include UBC’s Student Housing and Hospitality Services, the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, Forestry Innovation Investment, Natural Resources Canada and B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Read more about the new UBC student residence building in their press release.