Timber Hybrid Building Technology

Canadian Property Management | April 2024
Jenny Si, EIT | Design Engineer

Innovation and collaboration drive success at UBC's 'The Gateway Building'

Mass timber is known for its strength, beauty, sustainability and versatility, and its use in construction is growing year by year.

With innovative new products and repeatable building methods making wood more cost-effective and reliable, it’s no surprise complex wood-centric architectural designs are rising in popularity across Canada.

According to Jenny Si, a design engineer with RJC Engineers in Vancouver, the Gateway Building, currently underway at the University of British Columbia (UBC), is a stunning example of what can be achieved using innovative building solutions like the CREE Timber Hybrid System. Chosen for a multitude of reasons—namely, its ability to efficiently span large distances between columns with less material, use timber in all its major structural components, and minimize the project’s embodied carbon—it also offers reliable, repeatable steps that can be executed quickly with lower risk, to facilitate the creation of high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, timber-hybrid buildings. The CREE system also delivers a pleasing aesthetic of exposed timber.

“Essentially, it’s a timber-concrete-composite system of floor panels, beams, columns, and exterior walls, with concrete core walls,” Si explains. “All the components are meant to be prefabricated, although the engineer can make the final decision. Once the pieces are brought on site, they can be put together easily, like Lego blocks. It’s a collaborative and versatile method with steps that speed up construction and may be tailored to any specific project and market.”  

Engagement & Collaboration

Located at the principal entry point to UBC’s Vancouver campus, the seven-storey Gateway Building will soon house the School of Nursing, the School of Kinesiology, Language Science, and Integrated Student Health Services under one roof. It was envisioned with health and wellness in mind, but equally influenced by the Musqueam’s unique culture given it resides on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.

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