Video: Construction of biggest timber building in the world

The world’s biggest timber building has had its topping out ceremony after the construction phase was completed four months ahead of schedule.

Standing at 53m (174ft) tall, Brock Commons is the first mass wood, steel and concrete hybrid project taller than 14 storeys in the world and will provide residency for 400 students at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

A timelapse video has been released showing the various phases of its construction and the advantages of building with wood. It was finished in less than 70 days following the arrival of the prefabricated materials on site.

The building is comprised of a concrete podium and two concrete cores, with 17 storeys of cross-laminated-timber floors supported on glue-laminated wood columns. The cladding for the façade is made with 70 per cent wood fibre.

The roof is constructed of prefabricated steel beams sections and metal decking, with the roofing membrane pre-applied to achieve quick water tightness during construction.

The next phase of development will see the interior of the building finished, with an expected completion date of May 2017 – four months quicker than an average project.

The University has a number of other timber structure buildings including MS Student Nest, the Engineering Student Centre, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, the Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility, and the Earth Sciences building.

The building was designed by Vancouver-based Acton Ostry Architects in collaboration with structural engineer Fast + Epp, tall wood advisor Architekten Hermann Kaufmann of Austria, and Structurlam in Penticton, B.C., which provided the prefabricated wood components.

Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, commented: ““Brock Commons is living proof that advanced wood products are a terrific material to build with and support efficient assembly.”

Brock Commons is hoping to its adherence to environmental responsibility will achieve a LEED Gold certification. Through using timber over other construction materials, a reduction of 2,432 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide will be made.

A peer-review process was undertaken for the fire safety design of the building, which included a panel of leading fire safety experts, scientists, authorities and firefighters.

The layout of the building – small highly compartmentalised rooms – means that in the event of a fire, it would be contained at its point of origin. In the event of a fire occurring during an interruption to the water and electrical supply, the sprinkler system will still function thanks to a back-up water and emergency power supply.

UBC President Santa J. Ono said: “Wood is increasingly recognized as an important, innovative and safe building material choice. This new tall wood building reflects UBC’s leadership in sustainable construction and our commitment to providing our students with more on-campus housing.”

The building will open to around 400 students in September 2017 with the cost of the project expected to be around $51.5M.

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