Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions
Mass timber is part of a worldwide construction shift towards prefabrication and offsite construction. Prefabricated buildings made from sustainable sourced mass timber are a huge environmental and economic opportunity for B.C. and generate a triple win of low-carbon buildings, secure jobs and forest sector growth.
Since 2021, Renewable Cities has successfully undertaken multiple stages of work to help create a more enabling environment for prefabricated mass timber construction in B.C., including engaging with B.C. municipalities, the development sector, manufacturers and key professions to better understand and solve policy and regulatory barriers to the delivery of this building form.
NEW DESIGN GUIDELINES
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Design Solutions to Prefab Mass Timber Construction v2.0 is the latest addition to the ongoing work led by SFU Renewable Cities and provides guidance on how municipal land use regulations and design guidelines can better accommodate mass timber buildings in B.C. Released in March 2024, this document compiles supporting information and resources to help local governments develop a review process for applications they receive for mass timber projects within their jurisdiction.
This document is accompanied by other resources on local prefab mass timber solutions prepared by SFU Renewable Cities. Collectively, these publications aim to provide knowledge support for local governments in making informed decisions and developing regulations that facilitate mass timber construction in B.C.
This document is an updated version intended to replace the previous Design Solutions to Prefab Mass Timber Construction originally released in September 2022.
NEXT UP: INSURANCE AND FINANCING
By reducing barriers to insurance and financing, this phase of work will create a more enabling context for greater uptake of mass timber developments across B.C. and Canada.
Despite its longstanding presence in B.C. and Canada’s construction industry, challenges with ensuring mass timber is a viable and economic choice persist. Our engagement with stakeholders over the past year consistently highlighted insurance and financing as critical issues for this sector, also underscoring the significant lack of cross-sector collaboration on addressing these challenges.
In the next stage of programming, Renewable Cities will leverage its role and unique position as a credible convener in this sector and bring together multistakeholder groups to address challenges and co-develop insurance and financing options better adapted for the unique context, characteristics and needs of mass timber projects in B.C. and Canada.
BUILDING CAPACITY GUIDE
Building Capacity: Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions offers ways for local governments to develop policies and regulations that facilitate mid-rise mass timber construction. It also provides paths for senior levels of government and the building sector to contribute to successful mass timber projects and help scale this novel building form in B.C.
Building Capacity is the culmination of a year-long process led by SFU Renewable Cities that included independent research and analysis complemented by engagement with over 230 developers, design consultants, builders, manufacturers, local government planners and building officials. It was released in February 2023.
Building Capacity is primarily directed towards local government and the development sector
Local Governments
- Gain a deeper understanding of how mid-rise buildings constructed with prefabrication mass timber lead to substantial economic gains, lower greenhouse gas emissions and thriving communities
- Become aware of key challenges and explore strategies related to land use, design guidelines and building permit processes to facilitate more prefab and mass timber construction
Development Industry
- Learn about solutions your industry can take and how to support local governments in tuning policy to be more “prefab mass timber friendly”
Senior Government
- Learn how provincial and federal policies affect construction standards for municipalities and developers working on mass timber projects and ways to advance innovation in this space
FUNDERS
Building Capacity was funded by BC Hydro, Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) and the Office of Mass Timber Implementation in the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
B.C. has the resources and expertise to lead the prefab mass timber construction revolution
Mid-rise buildings (7-12 storeys), rare in B.C. but growing and important for densification and livability, are well suited for prefabricated mass timber construction. They help support significant embodied carbon reductions, thriving communities and affordable housing.
B.C. has the resources and expertise to lead this construction category and, as of 2019, allows mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys within some early-adopter jurisdictions. Yet uptake remains low for many reasons, including policy/regulatory barriers and supply/demand dynamics.
In 2022, Renewable Cities assembled an interdisciplinary project team of architects, planners, developers and building officials to work with communities and stakeholders to increase understanding of key land use and permitting barriers for the construction of prefabricated and mid-rise mass timber construction.
The Project Team engaged over 230 municipal and building stakeholders which helped to inform the development of the Building Capacity: Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions Guide.
In 2023, Renewable Cities shifted its focus to engage with the industry about design guidelines for mass timber buildings. The Project Team engaged with multiple municipalities and their design panels to develop adaptable design guidance for this building form. This involved engagement with over 35 industry professionals and leaders across multiple sectors in a dialogue-based Design Charette and engaging with over 500 stakeholders in presentations, conferences and workshops.
This work led to the release of Design Solutions to Prefab Mass Timber Construction v2.0 in March 2024. This resource provides guidance on how municipal land use regulations and design guidelines can better accommodate 7-12 storey mass timber buildings in B.C. and outlines considerations for 18 storey projects, in alignment with updated B.C. building code, which now allows for mass timber buildings up to 18 storeys, up from 12 storeys.
Veronica Grant
Renewable Cities
Project Manager
Helen Goodland
Architect RIBA
Scius Advisory Services,
MT & Building Innovation Advisor
Gary Penway
RPP MCIP
Penway Consulting
Land Use Policy Specialist
Norm Couttie
Architect AIBC
Ecosse Development Corp
MT Developer Specialist
Mesa Sherriff
Architect AIA, Urban Designer, LEED AP
Associate, ZGF Architects
Design Guideline Expert
Maryam Alirezaei
Associate Principal, ZGF Architects
Design Guideline Expert
Daniel Wilson
CPDH, Architect AIBC
Associate, ZGF Architects
Design Guideline Expert
Frank Ducote
FCIP, RPP
Frank Ducote Urban Design
Design Guideline Expert
Arjun Singh
Community Builder
Local Government Strategic Advisor
Marie Bednash
Associate AIA - Principal, ZGF Architects
Design Guideline and Communications Expert
Thomas Noussis
Intern Architect, ZGF Architects
Design Guideline Expert
Tim Ryce
Professional Engineer
Chief Building Official
Strategic Advisor
Geoff Triggs
P.L.Eng
Evolution Building Science Ltd,
Owner/Principal
Strategic Advisor
John de Ruiter
City of North Vancouver
Chief Building Inspector (former)
Permitting & Inspection Advisor