Mass timber 10 storeys wood building in Vancouver

2150 Keith Drive is a 10-storey office building, of which nine storeys of mass timber, planned for East Vancouver’s False Creek Flats. Boasting a honeycomb structure of diagonally oriented braces in a cellular pattern, the use of mass timber in 2150 Keith Drive is complemented by a palette of earthtone materials, including composite metal panels, wood soffits, and ample glazing.

The Urban Design Panel commended the generous use of mass timber—a sustainable, locally-sourced green building material. The design application passed unanimously without any recommended changes, a testament to the building’s design, which was applauded as an example for others to aspire to.

The building’s design uses a perimeter braced structural system that creates a striking expression of the building from the exterior and eliminates the need for conventional cast-in-place concrete cores. An innovative mass timber structure is proposed for all floors above Level 2; a series of timber shear walls in the interior and a series of structural braces at the exterior resist the wind and seismic load.