Ground level view
Construction of UBC Brock Commons, a record-breaking 18-storey mass timber development at the University of British Columbia, is well underway.
Acton Ostry Architects released renderings of the $51.5-million student residence last October. While it was predicted that the mass timber structure would be erected at a rate of one floor per week, construction forecasts have been far outdone. The current rate of construction is one floor every three days, and is only expected to increase.
Structurlam Products LP, the provider of the mass timber package for the project, has manufactured the key building components ? cross-laminated timber panels (Crosslam CLT) and glue-laminated columns (Glulam). Record-breaking construction is thanks to the fact that Structurlam products are manufactured to 1 mm of accuracy, allowing for expedited construction and quick installation. The lumber for UBC Brock Commons has been sourced exclusively from British Columbia’s second-growth forests through locally-based lumber partners Interfor, Canfor and West Fraser. To comply with university planning requirements, Acton Ostry‘s design reflects the character of international style Modernist buildings on the campus. The base is wrapped with curtain wall glazing, coloured glass spandrel panels and transparent coloured glass. An extensive CLT canopy runs the length of the building. The façade is a prefabricated panel system comprised of white and charcoal panels punctuat...