Orchard Commons, University of British Columbia / Perkins&Will ↗
ArchDaily · December 7, 2017
UBC Orchard Commons
Project facts
- Owner
- UBC Properties Trust
- Architect
- Perkins + Will
- Construction Manager
- Stuart Olson
- Location
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Status
- Completed 2015
- Our involvement
- Engineer-Build
Photography & imagery
- Completed photography
- Lucas Epp; Michael Elkan
- Diagrams / renders
- Diagrams: StructureCraft; Renders: Perkins + Will
The UBC Orchard Commons development comprises two new 18-storey student residence blocks connected by a shared student commons area.
We erected the 20,000 sf. roof covering the commons area. Glulam beams - up to 21m long and over 1m deep - span the large cafeteria area, with a mass timber roof atop. The mass timber roof panels are exposed as an internal ceiling and external soffit, creating a warm and inviting space visible through the glass facade. The rooftop is accessible, with a landscaped seating area.
The roof structure consists of Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) roof panels sitting on Glulam beams and columns. The NLT panels cantilever up to 3m in two directions past the Glulam column and beam supports. NLT was chosen for this project as it uses local wood fibre and proved a cost-effective, attractive timber soffit.
The lobby spaces in between floors in the two residential towers are connected by 23 sets of NLT stairs. With stringers CNC-cut from Douglas fir 2x12s, these laminated timber stairs create a solid wood connection between floors.
