OKANAGAN FALLS, B.C. ? The height limit for wood buildings in British Columbia is rising to 12 from six storeys in a move that Premier John Horgan expects to spur development using timber and give the province a headstart on other parts of the country.
B.C. is changing its building code to allow the construction of taller wood buildings as a safe, economic and environmental alternative to concrete apartments and office buildings, Horgan said Wednesday.
UBC Brock Commons Crane Hoisting Final Panel Construction crane hoists final wood panel up 18 storeys for installation.
B.C.?s building code changes come one year ahead of expected changes in the national building code, which are also expected to increase height limits for wood buildings to 12 storeys, Horgan said. ?We?re not waiting for the rest of the country to get here,? said Horgan. ?We already know that the product we?re building, that we?re creating here, is fire resistant. We know that we can build faster and we know it?s better for the environment.?
He said he expects local governments and First Nations to approve more wood buildings for family apartments, student residences and business locations.
Horgan made the announcement at Structurlam, a timber production company in Okanagan Falls near Penticton that has been a North American leader in wood products used in buildings.
?We need to get more value out of every log,? he said. ?It?s cost effective. It?s environmentally sensitive and it?s putting British C...