On cross laminated timber (CLT) as a building material, architect and green building expert Lloyd Alter writes: What’s not to love?
“It's made from a renewable resource, it sequesters carbon dioxide, it's lighter than concrete and it's lovely to look at,” he writes in TreeHugger.
An apartment complex in Montreal, aptly named Arbora, has been recognized as the world’s largest residential project using wood construction. Its 434 condo, townhouse, and rental units in three eight-story buildings are made from sustainably harvested wood turned into panels by Canadian company Nordic Wood Structures together with the Cree Nation in Chibougamau, Canada, according to Arbora’s website. The building was designed by Montreal-based practice Lemay+CHA.
When it came to the selection of CLT as the main material, the developer says that wood is “seven times more resistant to heat loss than concrete and 500 times more than steel,” meaning less energy is needed to heat and cool buildings, and a smaller environmental footprint overall.
The project boasts what the developers call “à-la-carte services and amenities” such as rentable wine cellars, electric vehicle charging stations, and onsite car wash. Additionally, residents can enjoy multipurpose facilities, yoga classes, and a fully equipped gym complete with some spa services.
According to real estate firm Blouin Vincenti, the expected project completion date is September 2006.
Related Stories
Affordable Housing | May 14, 2024
Brooklyn's colorful new affordable housing project includes retail, public spaces
A new affordable housing development located in the fastest growing section of Brooklyn, N.Y., where over half the population lives below the poverty line, transformed a long vacant lot into a community asset. The Van Sinderen Plaza project consists of a newly constructed pair of seven-story buildings totaling 193,665 sf, including 130 affordable units.
MFPRO+ News | May 13, 2024
Special multifamily report indicates ‘two supply scenarios’
Could we be headed towards a “period of stagflation?” That's the question Andrew Semmes, Senior Research Analyst, poses in the Matrix May 2024 Multifamily Rent Forecast update.
MFPRO+ News | May 10, 2024
HUD strengthens flood protection rules for new and rebuilt residential buildings
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued more stringent flood protection requirements for new and rebuilt homes that are developed with, or financed with, federal funds. The rule strengthens standards by increasing elevations and flood-proofing requirements of new properties in areas at risk of flooding.
Adaptive Reuse | May 9, 2024
Hotels now account for over one-third of adaptive reuse projects
For the first time ever, hotel to apartment conversion projects have overtaken office-to-residential conversions.
Mass Timber | May 8, 2024
Portland's Timberview VIII mass timber multifamily development will offer more than 100 affordable units
An eight-story, 72,000-sf mass timber apartment building in Portland, Ore., topped out this winter and will soon offer over 100 affordable units. The structure is the tallest affordable housing mass timber building and the first Type IV-C affordable housing building in the city.
MFPRO+ News | May 1, 2024
On the Domino Sugar refinery site, new Brooklyn condominiums offer views of the Manhattan skyline
In Brooklyn, New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood, the new One Domino Square is the first condominium development and the third ground-up residential building on the site of the Domino Sugar refinery. The 700,000-sf project is adjacent to Domino Square and anchors a new 11-acre public park.
MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024
World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods
The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.
Senior Living Design | Apr 24, 2024
Nation's largest Passive House senior living facility completed in Portland, Ore.
Construction of Parkview, a high-rise expansion of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Portland, Ore., completed recently. The senior living facility is touted as the largest Passive House structure on the West Coast, and the largest Passive House senior living building in the country.
ProConnect Events | Apr 23, 2024
5 more ProConnect events scheduled for 2024, including all-new 'AEC Giants'
SGC Horizon present 7 ProConnect events in 2024.
Mixed-Use | Apr 23, 2024
A sports entertainment district is approved for downtown Orlando
This $500 million mixed-use development will take up nearly nine blocks.
