BC Civic Hub Showcases Mass Timber and Passive House Design

The Confluence in Castlegar, BC, in one of Canada’s first fully public buildings to combine passive house certification with mass timber construction, naturally:wood reported.

Built in six weeks using locally sourced mass timber, the project was designed by Stand Architecture Inc. The multi-purpose civic hub houses the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce, Destination Castlegar’s visitor center, economic development offices, and community meeting and co-working spaces.

The project received a CleanBC grant based on an estimated 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for heating and cooling compared with standard code-level construction.

The development demonstrates that mass timber and passive-house design can be applied effectively in smaller centers and support 2030 sustainability goals, naturally:wood said. A tour and interviews with architects, designers, and mass timber suppliers are available through the article’s video.