June 9, 2022 Vancouver, British Columbia Natural Resources Canada
Effective and innovative utilization of Canadian forest products has the potential to transform the construction industry. With our abundant forest resources, low-carbon wood building systems, such as mass timber projects, present a significant environmental and economic opportunity. This approach supports sustainable building practices that benefit from energy-efficient and climate-resilient building designs while simultaneously driving low-carbon economic growth and creating good jobs at every stage of the value chain, from forest management, product manufacturing and export to installation and construction.
Today, Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, celebrated the official occupancy of oN5, which is constructed using high-performance, insulated, prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. It also has an advanced adhesive system that joins the CLT panels together without the need for beams, making the material comparable to concrete in terms of interior clear heights, flexible layout and efficient construction. oN5 supports the offices of local design and construction firms.
Our government is committed to advancing Canada's role as a world leader in innovative wood construction technologies and in making better and more effective use of our forest resources. We have committed to establishing a Low-Carbon Building Materials Innovation Hub and are supporting mass timber construction across Canada. Over $1.2 million in funding for the oN5 project was provided through Natural Resources Canada's Green Construction Through Wood (GCWood) Program, which encourages low-carbon construction through innovative uses of wood in non-traditional construction projects, such as low-rise non-residential buildings, tall wood buildings and bridges.
Named for its location near the intersection of Ontario Street and East Fifth Avenue in the Mt. Pleasant neighbourhood of downtown Vancouver, the top three storeys of this four-storey mass timber office building are constructed entirely out of cross-laminated timber. Its construction required sophisticated building information modelling and virtual construction work due to the challenging zero-lot-line site. The installation of the CLT building structure was completed in 15 days due to the use of prefabricated panels over conventional methods and therefore limited the impacts of construction on local residents and businesses while delivering the same benefits. The building includes instruments that monitor its performance, creating a living case study on the possibilities for urban infill projects built with innovative mass timber.
oN5 incorporates several sustainable building technologies - including its mass timber construction - enabling it to be comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time. The building meets Passive House standards for energy efficiency and also employs state-of-the-art seismic devices for resisting earthquakes. Its design and use are examples of climate resiliency in action.
Projects like oN5 are helping Canada reach net zero and develop the low-carbon economy by finding innovative and effective approaches to building sustainably, using Canada's world-class wood products.
