On Monday, city council agreed to support an early adoptive initiative that will increase the permitted height of wood frame buildings from six to 12-storeys tall.
The move follows the province’s announcement that BC will be adopting building code changes over the next three years, however, municipalities can proactively adopt the changes for wood frame buildings if they so choose.
Construction of tall wood frame buildings uses encapsulated mass-timber made of gypsum board and a concrete topping that prevents fire.
Early adoption of the changes is aimed at encouraging developers to consider moving away from the standard construction practice of using steel and concrete for buildings over six-storeys.
According to city officials, the Kelowna Fire Department has expressed their support of the initiative, a necessary requirement for municipalities to be part of the early adoption program.
“We’re excited to see Kelowna leading innovations in the construction industry,” said Mo Bayat, Development Services Director.
“Because many of the components are pre-assembled in mass timber it translates to a much faster build with less disruption to the neighbourhood.”
One of the world's tallest wood frame buildings in the 18-storey Brock Commons at the UBC Vancouver campus.
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