Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1385297
P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C A S E Y DU N N /CO U RT E S Y S T RU C T U R EC R A F T; B E A M C R A F T Structurecraft has been involved with a num- ber of fantastic EWP projects of late, including the new Taiyuan Botanical Garden Domes complex in Taiyuan, China, that features three domes ranging from 43-metre (m) to 88m in diameter and from 12m to 30m in height. "The largest of the three domes is the longest clear-span timber gridshell [non-triangulated] in the world. All three parabolic gridshells are com- prised of light doubly curved Glulam beams, arranged in two or three crossing layers," says Gerald Epp Jr. Another great Structurecraft project is Hotel Magdalena – the first of its kind in North America, consisting of three boutique mass timber buildings. "The primary structure for the interior hotel rooms is DLT panels on light wood frame bearing/shear walls. The panels are exposed at the ceiling, creat- ing a warm and welcoming esthetic in the rooms. Each building has an exterior exposed walkway structure which is composed of gapped timber pan- els on Glulam substructure – the wood is exposed on both sides [floor and ceiling]. There are several other custom timber scope elements including DLT elevator and stair shafts, hanging balconies, hybrid timber/steel staircases, and a stand-alone porte- cochere at the entrance," explains Epp. While 2020 was challenging for Beam Craft, much like the rest of the industry, 2021 brings renewed hope for the company as new opportunities arise within the commercial construction market due to increased use of EWP in the designs of its buildings. A growing number of schools are also looking to EWP as awareness grows about the many bene- fits EWP provides. A great example is Beam Craft's latest CLT install, the Sir Matthew Begbie Elementary School in Vancouver, that was completed in Q1 of 2021. "This was a significant project for us as it show- cases how a traditional steel and concrete design of a public building in an earthquake zone can be done in mass timber, utilizing local, renewable wood fibre, " says Jason Beamish, owner at Beam Craft. While current commodity prices of wood fibre is causing issues due to cost uncertainty, and experi- enced designers and technical experts face growing demands of a market that is gaining traction, there are a lot of positives happening in the sector. The adoption of Encapsulated Mass Timber into the National Building Code, the 12-storey Mass Timber adoption into B.C., and Alberta Building Codes is increasing awareness. Hotel Magdalena, Austin, TX Sir Matthew Begbie Elementary School, Vancouver, B.C.