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AUGUST 2017 | 63 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ACTON OSTRY ARCHITECTS INC. concrete cores; and the gravity system that transfers through the timber structure. "There were definitely some specific engineering challenges with Brock Commons. The two-way span CLT panels have never been done to this extent in the world," says Jackson. Olund expands on this: "There was a height limit for the building and UBC wanted as maximize the number of suites. The use of beams was eliminated by engineering the CLT to span two directions, and supporting them on glulam columns. This results in a grid of columns that are basically on a four-metre by 2.85- metre grid without any beams." The design of the building has been cleverly orchestrated to showcase its intention, and, as Acton describes it, resembles a bright, crisp wooden jewel box. "We used a cladding called Trespa, which is made up of 70 percent wood fibre and resin. Its pattern recalls wood and signals the extensive use of wood within," says Acton. On the ground floor there are two main entrances facing Walter Gage Road. One entrance leads into the lobby for the residents of the building and the other leads to the collegium, which is a home away from home for students who don't live on campus. "The ground floor layout is very open," says Acton. "There is a social lounge, kitchen, laundry, meeting room and a games room. On the floors above there are studios that have their own bathroom and kitchen, and four-bedroom quad units located at both ends of the floor." As with any wood structure, the issue of differential settlement of the mass wood and concrete had to be taken into account by Fast + Epp. Stantec Consulting Ltd. compensated for the differential settlement at the mechanical, plumbing and fire protection systems through the use of braided stainless steel connections, expansion compensators, expansion joints and flexible pipe connectors. "Special considerations for the sprinkler system include a 5,000-gallon on-site backup water supply," says Michael Dhont, from Stantec. The heating and ventilation system (HVAC) includes supply and exhaust air and stair pressurization. Operable windows in each suite provide natural cooling with automatic shut-off of the heating system when opened. "Horizontal distribution for supply and exhaust takes place below the roof and branches to vertical mechanical shafts that are located between units, which allows one shaft to serve two units at a time, thereby reducing the number of shafts and floor openings," says Dhont. When it came to the electrical systems, a compact, outdoor, environmentally friendly oil-filled 1000kVA transformer was located adjacent to the building to save valuable indoor space. "Two 12kV feeders are connected to the outdoor transformer from the UBC Utility system, one for normal operation and one for stand-by," says Jim Jay from Stantec. "To save further indoor space, an emergency generator was located outside the building." Research groups at UBC installed monitoring systems that will assist to better understand the vibration, moisture and shrinkage of the wood structure. "UBC considers the entire building to be a 'living lab,' allowing research and education opportunities for UBC faculty, staff, students and industry partners," says Jay. "To address the shrinkage of the mass wood structure, flexible cable feeders were used in lieu of solid conduit." It's fair to say that while Brock Commons was a complex undertaking, close collaboration between all parties resulted in a highly successful project that can now be used as a template not just across Canada, but the world. A Brock Commons Tallwood House – UBC LOCATION 6088 Walter Gage Road, Vancouver, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER UBC Properties Trust ARCHITECT Acton Ostry Architects Inc. TALL WOOD ADVISOR Architekten Hermann Kaufmann CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Urban One Builders STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ LEED CONSULTANT Stantec TOTAL SIZE 162,750 square feet TOTAL COST $47.5 million Sound Solutions.indd 1 2017-04-27 9:43 AM

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