A recent report, “Wood Use in British Columbia Schools,” authored by BC-based architecture firm thinkspace and structural engineering firm Fast + Epp finds that BC schools have increasingly featured a more innovative, eco-friendly, and flexible designs. The report was featured in the Journal of Commerce.
Today’s schools, according to the report, are more versatile and adaptable, offer ample daylight, and are focused on health and well-being, along with safety and better seismic performance. Today’s modern light-frame wood and mass timber building have a proven fire safety record and are suitable for meeting the stringent safety guidelines for schools. Mass timber structures can offer advantage over conventional construction in the event of an earthquake.
The report highlights several BC schools built by an expanding roster of timber experts in BC, including architects, engineers, fabricators, contractors and building specialists. The report cites several benefits to building schools from wood, especially in BC. It can be provincially sourced from healthy and certified forest, while also supporting communities and the provincial economy.
The report is available here.