New High-Performance Cross-Laminated Timber Office Building Welcomes Occupants

News release

June 9, 2022                                Vancouver, British Columbia                         Natural Resources Canada

Effective and innovative utilization of Canadian forest products has the potential to transform the construction industry. With our abundant forest resources, low-carbon wood building systems, such as mass timber projects, present a significant environmental and economic opportunity. This approach supports sustainable building practices that benefit from energy-efficient and climate-resilient building designs while simultaneously driving low-carbon economic growth and creating good jobs at every stage of the value chain, from forest management, product manufacturing and export to installation and construction.

Today, Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, celebrated the official occupancy of oN5, which is constructed using high-performance, insulated, prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. It also has an advanced adhesive system that joins the CLT panels together without the need for beams, making the material comparable to concrete in terms of interior clear heights, flexible layout and efficient construction. oN5 supports the offices of local design and construction firms.

Our government is committed to advancing Canada’s role as a world leader in innovative wood construction technologies and in making better and more effective use of our forest resources. We have committed to establishing a Low-Carbon Building Materials Innovation Hub and are supporting mass timber construction across Canada. Over $1.2 million in funding for the oN5 project was provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction Through Wood (GCWood) Program, which encourages low-carbon construction through innovative uses of wood in non-traditional construction projects, such as low-rise non-residential buildings, tall wood buildings and bridges.

Named for its location near the intersection of Ontario Street and East Fifth Avenue in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood of downtown Vancouver, the top three storeys of this four-storey mass timber office building are constructed entirely out of cross-laminated timber. Its construction required sophisticated building information modelling and virtual construction work due to the challenging zero-lot-line site. The installation of the CLT building structure was completed in 15 days due to the use of prefabricated panels over conventional methods and therefore limited the impacts of construction on local residents and businesses while delivering the same benefits. The building includes instruments that monitor its performance, creating a living case study on the possibilities for urban infill projects built with innovative mass timber.

oN5 incorporates several sustainable building technologies — including its mass timber construction — enabling it to be comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time. The building meets Passive House standards for energy efficiency and also employs state-of-the-art seismic devices for resisting earthquakes. Its design and use are examples of climate resiliency in action.

Projects like oN5 are helping Canada reach net zero and develop the low-carbon economy by finding innovative and effective approaches to building sustainably, using Canada’s world-class wood products.

Quotes

“By making effective use of Canada’s forest resources through low-carbon building systems, Canada is becoming a world leader in sustainable wood construction practices, increasing energy efficiency and climate resilience in our communities while simultaneously enhancing the global competitiveness of our forestry, wood manufacturing and construction sectors. That’s why our government is pleased to support projects like oN5 — to help lower emissions, create good jobs for workers and build better neighborhoods for everyone.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources

“Approaching construction projects with innovation and creativity is one of the ways we can tackle the climate crisis. The use of mass timber for construction not only lowers emissions and promotes renewables but also supports value-added manufacturing and energy efficiency. Buildings like oN5 will reduce the emissions associated with building materials and increase the speed of construction, helping us reach our net-zero goals and create the green, sustainable communities of the future.”

Patrick Weiler
Member of Parliament for West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country

“We feel that as engineers, we have a responsibility to put our money where our mouth is. We want to provide an example to society while doing something good for the environment by using mass timber. The City of Vancouver and British Columbia are leaders in wood excellence, and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Robert Malczyk

P.Eng., Owner

“This project is an excellent example of a high-performance, innovative and sustainable wood building. It showcases technologically advanced mass timber systems and how the components work together for optimal designs that can be easily replicated. Projects such as this address today’s urgent demand for more efficient construction using sustainable building materials toward a goal of carbon-neutral structures that will positively transform our built environment.”

Lynn Embury-Williams

Executive Director, Wood WORKS! BC / Canadian Wood Council 

Associated links

Contacts

Natural Resources Canada
Media Relations
343-292-6100
media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

               

Keean Nembhard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
613-323-7892
keean.nembhard@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca

         

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

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