Fast + Epp Structural Engineers Ready to Take on Tall Wood Building in Vancouver B.C.

In response to the City of Vancouver’s recent decision to allow commercial and residential tall wood buildings up to 12 stories, Fast + Epp structural engineers is branching out with new projects that push wood design forward while taking advantage of the material’s strengths. One such project is 2150 Keith Drive, a 10-story commercial office building to be located in Vancouver. Fast + Epp associate Robert Jackson said a grant from Natural Resources Canada allowed the firm to, “push what you can do with tall timber buildings at no expense to the owner. It let us test and try new things.” Before the local code change, Jackson said, building mass timber structures involved significant input from code consultants and alternative solutions were also submitted for possible approval. “The new code provisions certainly provide a much nicer path to getting more projects realized,” he said.