Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/331457
the building – Glulam columns and CLT floors and core – was pre-fabricated in Penticton and Okanagan Falls, B.C. by Structurlam Products. Bill Downing, Structurlam's president, says it was an exciting project. "Room on site was lim- ited and we worked very closely with the designers, the contractor and the installer to ensure that the right part arrived at the right time. WIDC is proof that we can fabricate a tall wood build- ing in our shops and ship it to be erected anywhere in the world." The building features a unique exte- rior design, with the facade incorporat- ing both semi-translucent glass on the south elevation to opaque dark wood siding on the north elevation. This takes advantage of the sunlight on the southern face for energy purposes, but the exterior is also designed to look like bark gradually peeling away from north to south. Testing of a charred wood finish for an exterior application is under way. If proven to be a worthwhile application it will be the finish for the wood siding. The building's interior design show- cases the unique wood structure. In as many areas inside as possible the wood structure is being left as the finished material. This will create a warm and natural interior finish. Lighting was chosen to best high- light the wood features and enhance the architecture. A modular lighting layout was designed to route electrical wiring through void spaces within the wood floor structure. "The anchor tenant will be the Uni- versity of Northern British Columbia on the first t wo-and-a-half f loors – with research facilities, lecture the- atres and classroom space for new Master degree programs in wood engi- neering and science. The remaining three-and-a-half f loors are available for lease by other tenants involved in forestry manufacturing, consulting, research and design," says Kaldal. As a general rule, wood does not per- form well acoustically. Given that much of this building is university space and must be held to the highest acoustic rat- ings, the project goal of leaving the wood structure exposed often conflicted with these high-acoustic targets. "It was a challenge for the project team to come up with solutions that met both criteria, as meeting the acous- tic ratings often meant covering the wood with drywall or insulation," says Kaldal. "In most cases, this was done in a non-visible manner so the wood could remain exposed, requiring the project team to be creative in their approach. "Building with wood has tremen- dous value. Wood is renewable, it meets code, it is versatile and it is innovative, adaptable and efficient. But rather than focusing solely on a showpiece struc- ture, the design-build team instead created a building that is easily repli- cated. This was a fundamental choice, made in the interest of seeing many more architects, engineers and private developers recognize the value of the design as a cost-effective competitor to steel and concrete. This is the best way to ensure that the B.C. wood economy grows – through repeatable, meaning- ful innovation." n Location 487 George Street, Prince George, B.C. owner/deveLoper BC Government owners consuLtant Associated Engineering architect Michael Green Architecture Inc. GeneraL contractor PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. structuraL consuLtant Equilibrium Consulting Inc. MechanicaL/eLectricaL consuLtant MMM Group Ltd. civiL consuLtant Opus DaytonKnight Consultants Ltd. totaL area 4,671 square meters totaL construction cost $25.1 million june 2014 /71 Wood Innovation and Design Centre Associated Engineering.indd 1 14-05-15 2:52 PM p.68-71Wood Innovation.indd 71 14-06-03 9:56 AM