Feds contribute $3.5 million for Vancouver mass timber office building

The federal government on July 5 announced a $3.5 million contribution to the construction of 2150 Keith Drive – an innovative mass timber commercial office building in Vancouver’s False Creek Flats neighbourhood.

Rick Moffat, head of operations for HKA Canada, emceed the media event, which included Arran Stephens, founder of Nature’s Path cereal company and representative for project owner BentallGreenOak; Taleeb Noormohamed, MP for Vancouver Granville; and Martin Nielsen, principal at Dialog, the project’s architect.

HKA, a construction sector consultancy, is acting as owner’s representative during the project’s construction.

The federal government’s contribution is being delivered via the Green Construction Through Wood Program, which supports projects that increase the use of wood as a low-carbon construction material. The project is also being supported by the BC government through the NetZero Energy Ready Program.

Mass timber – wood engineered for high strength via lamination and adhesives – is energy-efficient, fire-resistant, and able to sequester carbon dioxide. The scaling of mass timber usage also creates another market for Canada’s forestry sector.

“To reach our climate goals, Canada must reduce emissions in our building sector,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s minister of natural resources. “By utilizing mass timber, we can increase efficiency and climate resilience in our communities while also lowering emissions. Supporting projects like 2150 Keith Drive shows Canada's commitment to developing and deploying innovative practices and materials in our construction and buildings sector. This will support jobs and economic opportunity across the country and help to fight climate change."

2150 Keith Drive is slated to be the tallest braced-frame mass timber building in North America, at 10 storeys and 15,000 square meters. The honeycombed, brace-frame exterior eliminates the need for an interior concrete core, reducing environmental impact. The building is also targeting a minimum LEED Gold certification.

BentalGreenOak, the real estate investment arm of Sun Life Financial, is the project owner. 2150 Keith Drive broke ground last year and is expected to be completed in 2025.