Tall Mass Timber Office Building Planned for Vancouver

Mass timber is expected to impart biophilic benefits to T3 Mount Pleasant in Vancouver. Image courtesy of Hines.

04 May 2021 | Vancouver, Canada

A 10-story mixed-use project aims to be among the tallest and largest mass timber office buildings in western Canada. The 18,200-square-meter (196,000-square-foot) T3 Mount Pleasant building at 123 E. 6th Ave. in the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver is a joint venture between Hines and PC Urban Properties Group. The redeveloped site will incorporate the existing SFU Annex structure.

The mass timber product will be employed as the main structural and floor element, providing a warm and authentic office environment. The primary tenants, envisioned as office users in the creative industries such as tech, will have access to industrial and retail space on the lower levels, social workspaces, collaboration areas, an activated rooftop deck and shared conference space. The facility will also provide a fitness facility, bike storage, and end-of-trip facilities.

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The developers expect the mass timber to provide health and wellness benefits to facility occupants. According to a 2020 report on the North American mass timber industry by the Forest Business Network, “Exposed wood surfaces support biophilic responses in building occupants, promoting health and productivity benefits in all building types.” The building’s design will also enhance energy efficiency, access to natural light, and indoor air quality.

While metropolitan Vancouver’s office vacancy rate is nowhere near the 2.7 percent seen one year ago in the first quarter of 2020, it remains at just 6 percent, according to Colliers’ research. The figure is even lower, 5.4 percent, for Class A properties.

Construction of the project is on schedule to commence in 2022, with an estimated completion date in 2024.

For more on this story, go to Commercial Property Executive.