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In Quebec, the forestry industry is one of the most important economic sectors, as logging and wood product manufacturing respectively account for $2.1 billion CAD (2012) and $6.2 billion CAD (2013). With nearly 345,000 square kilometres of accessible productive forest, the province benefits from an abundance of this renewable resource which can be used for various purposes, including architecture. The Regie du Batiment du Quebec, whose mission is to ensure the best quality of work and the safety of buildings, currently allows timber structures to be built across the province at a maximum height of six storeys. This limitation was exceptionally lifted for developer Nordic Structures, who is about to start the construction of North America's tallest timber structure in Quebec City.
Located in Pointe-aux-Lièvres, the Quebec capital's newest eco-friendly district, Origine will feature 94 condominium units across 13 floors, 12 of which will be made of wood. Indeed, while the underground and first floors will be made of concrete to ensure the highest stability and insulation possible while supporting the weight of the upper 12 floors, the latter will be built with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). CLT consists of five rows of black spruce, a tree mostly growing in Canada and the northeastern United States, stacked and glued together.
Tightly packed together, the resulting resistant material can be used to build the frame, floors, ceilings and walls of a building. In the case of a 41-metre structure like Origine, concerns were raised about fire safety. A series of tests were thus conducted at the National Research Council in Ottawa, demonstrating that the tower could resist more than three and a half hours before collapsing when exposed to a 1200°c blaze, even with the equivalent weight of 11 storeys loaded on the lower levels. This is one and a half hours more than what is currently required for wooden buildings.
However, compromises were made for the sake of fire safety. No wood can be left exposed, meaning that the exterior of the building will be clad with white and red aluminum panels, dry wall will cover the wood structure inside every unit, and concrete will be poured on every heated floor. Construction is expected to start before the winter and last for 14 months, for a delivery in late 2016. This Yvan Blouin Architecte-designed tower is a first for North America, where concrete and steel are generally used for new construction.
The record is currently held by the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George, British Columbia - Origine will be close to 40% taller. Timber structures offer several advantages, such as better insulation due to the absence of thermal bridges, lighter weight, faster completion time and better environmental performance. Indeed, compared to a concrete building its size, Origine will be 45% lighter, with 40% lower energy costs, and be completed approximately one and a half years faster than a "traditional" structure.
Canada is not the only nation to rediscover wood framing applications for modern structures. This construction technique is being used as an answer to high real estate prices and urgent housing needs in several cities around the world, all in an eco-friendly manner. Plans for a 24-storey wooden tower in Vienna, an 18-storey timber student residence on University of British Columbia's Point Grey Campus, and even a 34-storey wooden apartment block in Stockholm are in the pipeline.
We will closely follow the construction of Origine as its timber frame goes up early next year. Meanwhile, additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase page for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.
