Saanich to receive $500k for redevelopment of fire station as mass timber project

Saanich to receive $500k for redevelopment of fire station as mass timber project
Courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design
The District of Saanich is set to get a financial boost from the government in order to redevelop Fire Station #2 as part of a provincial investment in mass timber projects.

The District of Saanich is set to get a financial boost from the province in order to redevelop Fire Station #2 as part of a provincial investment in mass timber projects.

On Wednesday, the government announced it would be investing a total of $4.2 million across 12 total mass timber demonstration and research projects in an effort to accelerate the adoption of mass timber building systems.

The province says that mass timber demonstration projects and research will help urban planners and developers adopt these systems “by supporting the incremental or first-time costs of design development, research, permitting and construction activities.”

The selected projects will source timber from sustainably managed forests with a lower carbon footprint, according to the provincial government.

“As we work to put the pandemic behind us, we will continue making strategic investments that position B.C. to come back stronger on the other side,” said Premier John Horgan. “Mass timber is good for forestry-dependent communities, workers and the environment – because it adds value rather than just volume. That’s why growing the sector is key to building a strong and sustainable economic recovery that reaches everyone.”

One of the 12 projects includes an investment into the redevelopment of a Saanich fire station.

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The project will replace the present one-storey, 353 square-metre Fire Station #2 with a two-storey 2,190 square-metre steel and timber post and beam system that will accommodate a fire training tower and emergency vehicles.

With funding help from the government, the project is expected to be completed by 2023.

According to the District of Saanich, it marks one of the first mass timber buildings in Canada to target a zero-carbon building standard while being fully equipped for post-disaster response.

The district adds that the facility design will also serve as a template for future post-disaster buildings. Mass timber was chosen for the redevelopment due to its structural performance and environmental benefits.

Concept design and rendering courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design

“The mass timber hybrid building will use a steel and timber post and beam system supporting cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors, a CLT roof suspended from glue-laminated timber (glulam) beams, and a mass timber shear wall,” reads a description of the new fire hall design.

More information on the redevelopment mass timber project can be found here.

In addition to the 12 projects being invested in, the province is creating a new mass timber advisory council, which will provide advice and guidance towards the production and use of mass timber in British Columbia. The council will consist of experts from urban planning and development, First Nations, forest products industry, environmental non-profits, academia and local governments.

“The face of construction is about to change in British Columbia through our government’s investments in mass timber,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “By encouraging greater use of mass timber, we are supporting jobs in research, design, engineering, construction and forestry using B.C. expertise and materials.”

The research projects will study mass timber’s fire performance, the costs relative to steel and concrete, and carbon benefits, with the goal of sharing information and advancing the use of mass timber provincewide.

Concept design and rendering courtesy of HCMA Architecture + Design

Graham CoxGraham Cox

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