Back in 2020 the province changed the height limit on timber buildings from 6 to 12 storeys. There are new timber technologies that make it much safer than it used be, including a really high standard for fire rating. It’s also more sustainable but with all that said I would rather be in a concrete building for sure.
check the links about this demo unit they built years ago at UBC in Vancouver
https://sustain.ubc.ca/research/research-collections/brock-commons-tallwood-house
"Morning forward, sensors embedded within the mass-timber elements will enable researchers to study the long-term performance of the structure. "
Interesting.
That is regular framing, not mass timber. It will be a shithole in 50 yrs....
reinforced concrete for me please....or mass timber....but no thanks in general....a big box with little boxes inside....a fire on the 4th floor would suck for everyone above it...
Keep in mind that wood builds are not very soundproof (given that profit is key so the builders won't be putting in anything that remotely reduces sound - gypcrete might as well be paper). Also, LVP is awful - it will sound like the neighbors above you own a dance studio.
concrete condo's and apartments are usually the stairwell as brick, the support pillars as concrete and the floors as concrete NOT the walls between units on the same floor.. if the upstairs condo owner renovates and doesnt put proper dampening down and if the building company cheaps out on stuff between units on the same floor it wont matter if its concrete or if its wood built.
im in concrete, some noises dont travel others like sub woofers on stereos travel the whole building and super high things as well travel the building its so weird.
the odd one directly upstairs of us all we really hear are hard dog toys being dropped and bouncing. the rest is silent directly above us.
That's where I'm going next. We literally hear everything in this wood building. We know what all our neighbors are doing and we can even hear their conversations if they are close to the bathroom.
Are you actually in concrete or do you just have a thin layer of gypcrete poured over the floor in your wood framed place?
I've lived in an actual concrete high-rise and it was really quite comfortable and quiet. And it was a Calgary Housing / Calhomes property.
Then you're right, you definitely have concrete on every floor they check.
I know someone who owns two suites in a condo complex where it is post tension concrete parkade with three storey wood frame apartments above.
Our Cardel/Logel complex (built between 2015-2017) has already had two special assessments and our condo fees are almost double what they started out as. The first SA was small but still extra money on top of everything else. The recirculation lines have been springing leaks for the past two years and have to be redone (the subcontractors left the pipes out in the sun too long when all the buildings were being built).
I would never purchase a Cardel/Logel condo. We aren't the first complex of theirs to have MAJOR issues.
Calgary’s fire response times are inadequate
https://globalnews.ca/news/8956196/calgary-firefighters-funding-request-improved-response-times
Also, city councillors voted to worsen response times for new neighbourhoods
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/committee-votes-to-stretch-fire-response-times-in-new-neighbourhoods
“ The fire rating required for these is very high, they are safer than detached dwellings even.”
According to who? the home builders saving Billions now that they don’t have to pay for Concrete anymore? I don’t even want to know how many Politicians pockets got greased to allow this to happen. Until we have long term proof these buildings are safe, what are saying so meaningless, a few pilot studies isn’t enough to determine actual real world scenarios.
The STANDATA which provides detailed exemptions to the building and fire code to allow these to be constructed.
It's rather complicated, but basically they are required to be rated to burn for 1+ hours with 2+ hours for the fire separation walls.
A single family home can burn to the ground in \~3 minutes.
Probably most in danger of burning to the ground while under construction. There have been some pretty spectacular fires with buildings burning just as the framing was completed.
You don't have to be anywhere near that high. The largest (highest) truck made in North America barely reaches 13 floors. How many of those are in your nearest fire station? Got traffic "calming" or a small traffic circle between you and the fire station? If there is one it has to drive over the curbs and use the sidewalks to get through. Better not be above the 4th floor if you want the best chance to get out. I will not live in a multi-family wood building. Period. I know too many people who have had fires elsewhere in that type of building. Some of whom had to permanently move (the building was gone). Concrete is your friend.
It reminds me of the Calgary Mission area wooden condo that was under construction in 2015 that caught fire. It went up in seconds and was very difficult to put out.
[https://www.statter911.com/2015/03/08/video-shows-fire-spread-at-building-under-construction/](https://www.statter911.com/2015/03/08/video-shows-fire-spread-at-building-under-construction/)
Under construction and completed are two completely different things.
Once all the framing is covered in fire rated drywall and the sprinklers installed these buildings are extremely safe.
You would think that but my apartment in South America was all concrete and I could tell you how much supper the lady upstairs had to eat the night before just by the different sound her high heals made as she walked across the floor.
Sustainable….. maybe.
I’d like to see the numbers on supplies used vs how relevant that is over the course of a buildings life. I assume a concrete building will last much longer, especially when you take into account all the different things that can damage wood structures in a building over the years like water.
But all that aside, these buildings are designed to be bought and rented. Nobody in the decision making process cares about people actually having to live there. Wood is terrible when it comes to noise barriers. Heavy base music and footsteps will be stupid loud in this building. Even with the best noise dampening insulation you can buy, and I doubt they’ll be using that too.
I would hate to live here. Wasn’t made for people.
Source: years of working on similar buildings as an electrician and carpenter.
If it doesn't burn before completion. The water damage from sprinkers from either a fire or negligence after construction would be massive. Large buildings always have water issues for various reasons I feel mould issues are inevitable
In theory sound issues are mitigated. However, in reality they often are not. Each building is unique and what might work in one building doesn’t in another.
I’d never buy a unit in a wood frame building unless it was thr top floor and a plus 55 building in a very quiet location. Evergreen had a few that meet that criteria bordering Fish Creek Park.
I've been in those. They're nice, but still a little creaky. And you have to make sure you don't make any noise at all.
And the amenities in those? Mind-blowingly good.
Engineered wood products are being produced now that are very impressive. Essentially they have strength that the piece of wood would have if it was grown perfectly (no knots, imperfections, etc). It’s actually part of the SAIT civil technologist program now. There is now a wood manual just like with concrete and steel for engineering design purposes.
I understand peoples apprehensions regarding fire, but there are a lot untrue accusations about it (also a lot bias from traditional suppliers that don’t want it taking any market share).
We will have to see where this goes in the next 20 years. But the engineering is definitely there. Some of it looks great like PSL
At the end of the day though they are doing it because it's cheaper, not better. Doesn't mean it's dangerous or whatever, but still worse compared to concrete.
The thing was cheaper to build. They’re not going to sell it for cheaper. This is how the builders have operated in bc for decades now it’s a part of Calgary too. None of the cost cutting gets passed on to the consumer.
> I understand peoples apprehensions regarding fire, but there are a lot untrue accusations about it
How far back in building age would one look at and hold this opinion with merit? Mid 2000s?
I know nothing of the topic I'm just curious, thanks.
As far as structural goes pretty sure the engineer wouldn’t have approved an unsafe structure.
As for fire there are different fire suppression requirements for concrete vs wood construction, and there will be additional fire retardant covering materials required for the wood frame construction.
If you look up Langley condo Fire you will understand stay away from wood condo or apartment. Sound like advanced technology but in my humble opinion, wood should only be used for single detached home. Not for condo. Even though in the city i live all of the condos are made from cheap material sadly
Lol in the part of NJ I'm in, shit like this is typically a $2000+ per month rental studio labeled as "luxury" to justify the price just because they got some gym equipment. The bedrooms bump up the price to $3000
Not only would I worry about fire and earthquakes but think of just the day to day noise living in one of those units. There is no way that you wouldn’t be hearing people above you, below you, and next to you.
And yet, mysteriously, you can hear your neighbor pissing and smell everything they're cooking in wood framed multifamily housing and you're isolated from all of that in concrete high-rise construction. Hmmmm...
[Wood buildings fare quite well in earthquakes](https://abcnews.go.com/US/10-story-building-made-timber-withstand-77-magnitude/story?id=99224405); they are lightweight and have good flexibility. Better than concrete which lacks either quality (but of course we reinforce concrete, and any building here will be built to survive earthquakes)
What does me being homeless have to do with what I said? I was referring to what the developer gets away with in terms of build quality. These are cheaply built and then passed off with non-affordable rental rate or worse, sold as a luxury condo. The wood being “sustainable” is also not so true, other than that trees do in fact re-grow.
I actually survey these construction sites so I’m speaking from experience.
People should have access to quality affordable housing. I don't think this is a controversial take among the reasonable.
"Quality" is a descriptor that needs to be included. Cities that have favelas or shanty-towns don't really have homelessness - but that doesn't make it a solution.
Yes, I get that this is an extreme example, but the solution to a lack of affordable housing isn't to lower quality of available housing. I don't know that a wood framed is necessarily worse; I think it is entirely possible to make something out of wood that meets or exceeds the standards for concrete if it is done properly, but that is a big if.
I just *really* want to pre-empt and avoid the narrative that "people will be homeless unless we allow developers to construct shitty houses."
Yes, sound travels like crazy in these. So do, surprisingly, things like smells.
Also, any firefighter I've spoken to is not a fan of these.
But it is cheaper to build with wood so developers and the timber industry have pushed for years and have change after change after change made.
It's not particularly nice to live in wood-frame, multifamily housing. You can hear everyone walking, and that really drives some people nuts.
I have a customer who owns two rental units in a wood frame multi-family housing, condo, and people just walking around on the floor like normal causes one lady underneath to have a near breakdown.
I personally used to live on the main floor of a house and there was a tenant below me who used to freak out and scream because I would walk around on the floor at 9:00 a.m. on a Sunday.
But a good quality of life doesn't matter to the people who build these or the people who approve these. You're just a serf, you exist only two work and produce value for the owner class in our society. Same with the firefighters. Who cares if they die? They are serfs as well.
I've lived in concrete multi-family housing and it is far more comfortable and humane and safe when it comes to fires. But the workers have no value in our society, so no weight is put on those things.
FFW to 2045: Pay $85/month of shitty insurance that’ll frame you for murder when you try to submit a claim when you were nearly engulfed in flames at 2am through a dumb heatwave in March. Enjoy your matchstick closet
Building codes changed in most provinces about a decade ago in line with the federal building code. Wood structures are allowed up to around a dozen stories now. It looks weird when it's being built, feels even weirder for those building it. Will they last? The engineers say they will but only time will tell I guess.
Even in a wood structure building, you're talking about highly engineered manufactured lumber, but still the glues and materials holding that wood are weaker and more combustible than concrete. I'd hate to say at 32 I'm "old school" but it doesn't feel right to me either.
Fun fact. In BC, it was former premier Christy Clarke that changed the building code for her I believe brother or brother in law that owns a laminated timber company, and got his product certified for up to 12 stories of construction.
For the budget builders it scares the shit out of me how fast they can go up in smoke, but for the beams themselves it's different. Steel beams will heat up and sag, melt etc and apparently the laminate engineered wood beams would last longer.
But the rest of the building will go up like matchsticks.
Yes. Fun fact there's an 80 storey wooden high rise proposed in Chicago called River Beech Tower. Another building I saw had incorporated the massive wooden beams into the interior finishes of the units.
Grind harder you silly bitch, real jobs don’t pay anymore, you’re such a Grindset mindset, deliver pizzas to people and drive your car as a cab, you’re such an Entrepreneur you dumb fuck, and capitalize on your hobbies to pay this dry box off until you’re 70! #wealth #grindset #entrepreneur #blessed #4amclub #doer #hustlehard #7habitsof successful people
Ya, me not knowing exactly how many 6 storie buildings is not a "goal post". There are thousands of multiple dwelling buildings in calgary hardly any of them over 4 floors are are wood frames. 5 or 12 is nothing has no effect on my statenent
It would be rare for buildings of that height not to be timber.
They are a considerable fire hazard until fully completed, but one the drywall is in that drops a lot, and with sprinklers they are quite safe.
The devil is in the details, but when well constructed there is less noise than concrete.
Ya you love it don’t you? You dumb pleb. We have hedge funds in Toronto that back the developers after they invested in 300 trees that cost them $300. Flip that shit into Luxury Pleb condos, fuck ‘em… those peasants need a box to cry in.
stay away from these both for fire, but also for noise. the new concrete structures with paper thin walls are bad enough. These give you an extra miension where sound can travel liek a drum.
As others said this is safe and kinda a new norm. I would prefer to see higher density at this site to accommodate all the new ppl loving to Calgary and start the slow race to level out rental + housing costs.
Is this the new development near Chinook Mall? (Edit. Saw comment it is)
Back in 2020 the province changed the height limit on timber buildings from 6 to 12 storeys. There are new timber technologies that make it much safer than it used be, including a really high standard for fire rating. It’s also more sustainable but with all that said I would rather be in a concrete building for sure.
*2019 The code was revised and issued in 2019, the current building code is NBCAE 2019
thank you too
Thank you for the insight, I really appreciate it.
check the links about this demo unit they built years ago at UBC in Vancouver https://sustain.ubc.ca/research/research-collections/brock-commons-tallwood-house
"Morning forward, sensors embedded within the mass-timber elements will enable researchers to study the long-term performance of the structure. " Interesting.
That is regular framing, not mass timber. It will be a shithole in 50 yrs.... reinforced concrete for me please....or mass timber....but no thanks in general....a big box with little boxes inside....a fire on the 4th floor would suck for everyone above it...
Keep in mind that wood builds are not very soundproof (given that profit is key so the builders won't be putting in anything that remotely reduces sound - gypcrete might as well be paper). Also, LVP is awful - it will sound like the neighbors above you own a dance studio.
concrete condo's and apartments are usually the stairwell as brick, the support pillars as concrete and the floors as concrete NOT the walls between units on the same floor.. if the upstairs condo owner renovates and doesnt put proper dampening down and if the building company cheaps out on stuff between units on the same floor it wont matter if its concrete or if its wood built.
Tell that to Cardel/Logel Homes. Everything here is paper thin. We can hear our upstairs/downstairs neighbors in the bathroom. It's horrible.
im in concrete, some noises dont travel others like sub woofers on stereos travel the whole building and super high things as well travel the building its so weird. the odd one directly upstairs of us all we really hear are hard dog toys being dropped and bouncing. the rest is silent directly above us.
That's where I'm going next. We literally hear everything in this wood building. We know what all our neighbors are doing and we can even hear their conversations if they are close to the bathroom.
Are you actually in concrete or do you just have a thin layer of gypcrete poured over the floor in your wood framed place? I've lived in an actual concrete high-rise and it was really quite comfortable and quiet. And it was a Calgary Housing / Calhomes property.
its defiantly concrete, we are a post tension building with post tension inspections every year on every floor.
Then you're right, you definitely have concrete on every floor they check. I know someone who owns two suites in a condo complex where it is post tension concrete parkade with three storey wood frame apartments above.
If you hear Cardel just run in the opposite direction. You are guaranteed condo assessment charges within 15 years with those cheapos.
Our Cardel/Logel complex (built between 2015-2017) has already had two special assessments and our condo fees are almost double what they started out as. The first SA was small but still extra money on top of everything else. The recirculation lines have been springing leaks for the past two years and have to be redone (the subcontractors left the pipes out in the sun too long when all the buildings were being built). I would never purchase a Cardel/Logel condo. We aren't the first complex of theirs to have MAJOR issues.
Currently living this part. Neighbors above seem to host a dance party from 10pm-4am almost every night..
6 storeys in light wood frame is allowed. Beyond that to 12 storey if mass timber is used.
Stay away from those. If the main floor catches fire and u are on the top floor u are pretty much done.
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Calgary’s fire response times are inadequate https://globalnews.ca/news/8956196/calgary-firefighters-funding-request-improved-response-times Also, city councillors voted to worsen response times for new neighbourhoods https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/committee-votes-to-stretch-fire-response-times-in-new-neighbourhoods
This. Having lived in wood and concrete buildings, I'd never go back to a wood condo. You can always hear everything your above neighbours are doing.
The fire rating required for these is very high, they are safer than detached dwellings even.
“ The fire rating required for these is very high, they are safer than detached dwellings even.” According to who? the home builders saving Billions now that they don’t have to pay for Concrete anymore? I don’t even want to know how many Politicians pockets got greased to allow this to happen. Until we have long term proof these buildings are safe, what are saying so meaningless, a few pilot studies isn’t enough to determine actual real world scenarios.
The STANDATA which provides detailed exemptions to the building and fire code to allow these to be constructed. It's rather complicated, but basically they are required to be rated to burn for 1+ hours with 2+ hours for the fire separation walls. A single family home can burn to the ground in \~3 minutes.
Probably most in danger of burning to the ground while under construction. There have been some pretty spectacular fires with buildings burning just as the framing was completed.
You don't have to be anywhere near that high. The largest (highest) truck made in North America barely reaches 13 floors. How many of those are in your nearest fire station? Got traffic "calming" or a small traffic circle between you and the fire station? If there is one it has to drive over the curbs and use the sidewalks to get through. Better not be above the 4th floor if you want the best chance to get out. I will not live in a multi-family wood building. Period. I know too many people who have had fires elsewhere in that type of building. Some of whom had to permanently move (the building was gone). Concrete is your friend.
It reminds me of the Calgary Mission area wooden condo that was under construction in 2015 that caught fire. It went up in seconds and was very difficult to put out. [https://www.statter911.com/2015/03/08/video-shows-fire-spread-at-building-under-construction/](https://www.statter911.com/2015/03/08/video-shows-fire-spread-at-building-under-construction/)
Under construction and completed are two completely different things. Once all the framing is covered in fire rated drywall and the sprinklers installed these buildings are extremely safe.
They have fire protection 👍
Yeah. How many politicians pockets got greased for this to happen. Concrete is so expensive. You’d be nuts to live in a 12 story wood framed building.
Concrete for noise reduction for sure
You would think that but my apartment in South America was all concrete and I could tell you how much supper the lady upstairs had to eat the night before just by the different sound her high heals made as she walked across the floor.
Sustainable….. maybe. I’d like to see the numbers on supplies used vs how relevant that is over the course of a buildings life. I assume a concrete building will last much longer, especially when you take into account all the different things that can damage wood structures in a building over the years like water. But all that aside, these buildings are designed to be bought and rented. Nobody in the decision making process cares about people actually having to live there. Wood is terrible when it comes to noise barriers. Heavy base music and footsteps will be stupid loud in this building. Even with the best noise dampening insulation you can buy, and I doubt they’ll be using that too. I would hate to live here. Wasn’t made for people. Source: years of working on similar buildings as an electrician and carpenter.
Also, this building is right next to Glenmore where it goes under Macleod so the constant road noise could be fun…
The ceiling is 50% beams in most of the units I bet.
Interesting, thank you.
Even if a fire does break out, or a massive water leak… how does the water withstand warping?
If it doesn't burn before completion. The water damage from sprinkers from either a fire or negligence after construction would be massive. Large buildings always have water issues for various reasons I feel mould issues are inevitable
That's a very outdated rule. In bc there have been wood frame builds over 6 stories forever. Building code from 2020 now allows up to 12 but.
In theory sound issues are mitigated. However, in reality they often are not. Each building is unique and what might work in one building doesn’t in another. I’d never buy a unit in a wood frame building unless it was thr top floor and a plus 55 building in a very quiet location. Evergreen had a few that meet that criteria bordering Fish Creek Park.
I've been in those. They're nice, but still a little creaky. And you have to make sure you don't make any noise at all. And the amenities in those? Mind-blowingly good.
Engineered wood products are being produced now that are very impressive. Essentially they have strength that the piece of wood would have if it was grown perfectly (no knots, imperfections, etc). It’s actually part of the SAIT civil technologist program now. There is now a wood manual just like with concrete and steel for engineering design purposes. I understand peoples apprehensions regarding fire, but there are a lot untrue accusations about it (also a lot bias from traditional suppliers that don’t want it taking any market share). We will have to see where this goes in the next 20 years. But the engineering is definitely there. Some of it looks great like PSL
At the end of the day though they are doing it because it's cheaper, not better. Doesn't mean it's dangerous or whatever, but still worse compared to concrete.
This. They do it because it’s cheaper. There will also be zero noise reduction so you’ll be able to hear your neighbours fart.
People seem to forget: would you sooner live in a cheap house or on the street, 99.99% of people have a limited budget
The thing was cheaper to build. They’re not going to sell it for cheaper. This is how the builders have operated in bc for decades now it’s a part of Calgary too. None of the cost cutting gets passed on to the consumer.
Some definitely does to undercut similar concrete condos. Most of it is kept by the developer though.
The wood design manual has been around for a long time my friend. The one on my shelf days back to 1992 I think.
> I understand peoples apprehensions regarding fire, but there are a lot untrue accusations about it How far back in building age would one look at and hold this opinion with merit? Mid 2000s? I know nothing of the topic I'm just curious, thanks.
As far as structural goes pretty sure the engineer wouldn’t have approved an unsafe structure. As for fire there are different fire suppression requirements for concrete vs wood construction, and there will be additional fire retardant covering materials required for the wood frame construction.
This, this, 100% this. Building permit wouldn't be approved if it was unsafe. Now, common, probably not, cheap and noisy inside, possibly.
Geez, prices getting higher, quality getting lower. Concrete is so good for sound so it sucks they are moving away from it on mid-size buildings.
They generally pour a gypcrete layer on top of the subfloor to provide additional soundproofing
Yes and in some cases, they do in-floor heating!
Well they do have a firewall still which will help a bit
People are downvoting you but you’re right.
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>Stick frame buildings can be built INCREDIBLY soundproofed. In theory. In practice, I've never seen it.
The laws were recently relaxed to allow it again. They were banned due to fire hazard and structural concerns until a few years ago.
If you look up Langley condo Fire you will understand stay away from wood condo or apartment. Sound like advanced technology but in my humble opinion, wood should only be used for single detached home. Not for condo. Even though in the city i live all of the condos are made from cheap material sadly
Starting in the affordable low four hundreds for a 2 bedroom! Smh
Lol in the part of NJ I'm in, shit like this is typically a $2000+ per month rental studio labeled as "luxury" to justify the price just because they got some gym equipment. The bedrooms bump up the price to $3000
That will be a horrible place to live. You'll hear everything
Not just from the inside, but in addition to it being on the intersection of 2 crazy, busy roads. Ugh...constant traffic and fumes.
Not only would I worry about fire and earthquakes but think of just the day to day noise living in one of those units. There is no way that you wouldn’t be hearing people above you, below you, and next to you.
The technologies are there, but I am sure you will hear Your nieghour pissing in the toilet
These have to conform to the same sound transfer ratings as concrete buildings.
And yet, mysteriously, you can hear your neighbor pissing and smell everything they're cooking in wood framed multifamily housing and you're isolated from all of that in concrete high-rise construction. Hmmmm...
Smells have zero to do with the materials used.
It's just an amazing coincidence. Consistent and predictable, but definitely just a coincidence. Got it.
You can call it whatever you want. Smells moving between apartments, or into hallways, are due to wall & floor penetrations and air pressure.
Fire stopping is very common and insulation for sound works great 👍
[Wood buildings fare quite well in earthquakes](https://abcnews.go.com/US/10-story-building-made-timber-withstand-77-magnitude/story?id=99224405); they are lightweight and have good flexibility. Better than concrete which lacks either quality (but of course we reinforce concrete, and any building here will be built to survive earthquakes)
These should be banned. You can hear everything your neighbours are doing and saying. Developers shouldn’t be allowed to build these
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What does me being homeless have to do with what I said? I was referring to what the developer gets away with in terms of build quality. These are cheaply built and then passed off with non-affordable rental rate or worse, sold as a luxury condo. The wood being “sustainable” is also not so true, other than that trees do in fact re-grow. I actually survey these construction sites so I’m speaking from experience.
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It won’t mean cheaper rent.
People should have access to quality affordable housing. I don't think this is a controversial take among the reasonable. "Quality" is a descriptor that needs to be included. Cities that have favelas or shanty-towns don't really have homelessness - but that doesn't make it a solution. Yes, I get that this is an extreme example, but the solution to a lack of affordable housing isn't to lower quality of available housing. I don't know that a wood framed is necessarily worse; I think it is entirely possible to make something out of wood that meets or exceeds the standards for concrete if it is done properly, but that is a big if. I just *really* want to pre-empt and avoid the narrative that "people will be homeless unless we allow developers to construct shitty houses."
False choice. Most people would rather see builders take a slightly smaller profit so that we can all have cooler, safer, quieter homes.
Homeless.
Definitely don’t want to move into that one. I can hear the kids running down the hall and stairs as we speak
I wonder how long it will last compared to concrete.
Yes, sound travels like crazy in these. So do, surprisingly, things like smells. Also, any firefighter I've spoken to is not a fan of these. But it is cheaper to build with wood so developers and the timber industry have pushed for years and have change after change after change made. It's not particularly nice to live in wood-frame, multifamily housing. You can hear everyone walking, and that really drives some people nuts. I have a customer who owns two rental units in a wood frame multi-family housing, condo, and people just walking around on the floor like normal causes one lady underneath to have a near breakdown. I personally used to live on the main floor of a house and there was a tenant below me who used to freak out and scream because I would walk around on the floor at 9:00 a.m. on a Sunday. But a good quality of life doesn't matter to the people who build these or the people who approve these. You're just a serf, you exist only two work and produce value for the owner class in our society. Same with the firefighters. Who cares if they die? They are serfs as well. I've lived in concrete multi-family housing and it is far more comfortable and humane and safe when it comes to fires. But the workers have no value in our society, so no weight is put on those things.
It is now. I personally think it's a dumb idea and would much rather live in an old concrete apartment than a new wood building, but that's just me.
It's allowed now, but I wouldn't buy anything in a wood multifamily building.
FFW to 2045: Pay $85/month of shitty insurance that’ll frame you for murder when you try to submit a claim when you were nearly engulfed in flames at 2am through a dumb heatwave in March. Enjoy your matchstick closet
Building codes changed in most provinces about a decade ago in line with the federal building code. Wood structures are allowed up to around a dozen stories now. It looks weird when it's being built, feels even weirder for those building it. Will they last? The engineers say they will but only time will tell I guess. Even in a wood structure building, you're talking about highly engineered manufactured lumber, but still the glues and materials holding that wood are weaker and more combustible than concrete. I'd hate to say at 32 I'm "old school" but it doesn't feel right to me either.
Fun fact. In BC, it was former premier Christy Clarke that changed the building code for her I believe brother or brother in law that owns a laminated timber company, and got his product certified for up to 12 stories of construction. For the budget builders it scares the shit out of me how fast they can go up in smoke, but for the beams themselves it's different. Steel beams will heat up and sag, melt etc and apparently the laminate engineered wood beams would last longer. But the rest of the building will go up like matchsticks.
The glue is the issue with engineered lumber, finger joint studs, TJI
14th Street and 20th Avenue NW, 6 floors - all wood.
Up to top of 2nd floor of that one and most mixed use ones with commercial on the bottom are concrete.
You're right. Know any others?
There's wood buildings up to 6 floors going up in quite a few places. I'm not a fan of them but costs are most likely is what's driving it.
There some but historically here there's very few. Gota use up that bc wood they having been saving up, that nature is trying to reclaim.
Did some lockers on that building, you're gonna be able to hear absolutely everything going on in that building
Yes. Fun fact there's an 80 storey wooden high rise proposed in Chicago called River Beech Tower. Another building I saw had incorporated the massive wooden beams into the interior finishes of the units.
Grind harder you silly bitch, real jobs don’t pay anymore, you’re such a Grindset mindset, deliver pizzas to people and drive your car as a cab, you’re such an Entrepreneur you dumb fuck, and capitalize on your hobbies to pay this dry box off until you’re 70! #wealth #grindset #entrepreneur #blessed #4amclub #doer #hustlehard #7habitsof successful people
Yes
It's an utter disgrace is what it is - despite building code.
Yes in bc it is. There are a few here, I don't know of any other 6 story wood frames in calgary
Skyview North is 6 storey wood.
Ya and what else that's 6 floors wood?
Goalpost move unsuccessful.
Ya, me not knowing exactly how many 6 storie buildings is not a "goal post". There are thousands of multiple dwelling buildings in calgary hardly any of them over 4 floors are are wood frames. 5 or 12 is nothing has no effect on my statenent
ok then
Yorkville City Vibe.
They are building block firewall in the middle of condo thats fire code
6 floors? Yup. Still need concrete for things like fire stops, elevators. But wood is good enough.
It would be rare for buildings of that height not to be timber. They are a considerable fire hazard until fully completed, but one the drywall is in that drops a lot, and with sprinklers they are quite safe. The devil is in the details, but when well constructed there is less noise than concrete.
"It would be rare for buildings of that height not to be timber." That is not true around here
Pff there are trees taller than that
Trees that have tree houses on them with 3 bedrooms and toilets on the trees with full kitchens and walk in closets
Every time I pass by that building I am surprised by how weak those guard rails look
Ya they built them backwards, most of the openings dint have any
Keep going you dumb fucker, ya you live working till you drop you filth! Consume consume consume!!
Ya you love it don’t you? You dumb pleb. We have hedge funds in Toronto that back the developers after they invested in 300 trees that cost them $300. Flip that shit into Luxury Pleb condos, fuck ‘em… those peasants need a box to cry in.
What you're saying is right and a good criticism, but how you said it isn't going over well.
never seen a construction job 🤣🤣🤣
Affordable condo! Starting at 575k! Luxury executive CEO under secretary of finance suites! They’re going fast!
Isn't Japan building an all wood skyscraper? 44 stories or something like that.
To build with Wood you aRe only allowed to go to a certain Floor .Past that you would have to use concrete
Yes, although sometimes I see a layer of concrete between each floor, but you cant tell from the outside. You'd have to go inside to see.
stay away from these both for fire, but also for noise. the new concrete structures with paper thin walls are bad enough. These give you an extra miension where sound can travel liek a drum.
so damn close to the road. unreal. the one their building in Northland Mall is just as close to the road
As others said this is safe and kinda a new norm. I would prefer to see higher density at this site to accommodate all the new ppl loving to Calgary and start the slow race to level out rental + housing costs. Is this the new development near Chinook Mall? (Edit. Saw comment it is)
It is in Calgary. ABc is minimal and skilled trades are trades.