The University of Victoria is expanding its Engineering and Computer Science Lab department with an eye toward Net Zero targets.
Structural engineer Dialog and Bird Construction are erecting the 6,400-square-metre Engineering and Computer Science Expansion building as well as the 2,200-square-metre High Bay Research and Structures Lab building out of regionally sourced mass timber from Douglas fir trees.
Designed to accommodate an additional 500 students per year, the Engineering and Computer Science Expansion project at the University of Victoria will provide research laboratories, classrooms, and office spaces to meet the growing demands of institution’s Engineering Departments.
The buildings incorporate Passive House design strategies, such as high-performance building envelopes, extra insulation, thermal glazing, exterior solar shading, and optimized window-to-wall ratios.
The complex also features energy-efficient electric heat pump HVAC systems, photovoltaics on the walls, and green roofs to increase biodiversity, according to a statement—all of which may be used for research by the University.
The lighter mass timber components result in lower seismic demand, reducing the overall quantity of structural steel, foundation materials and soil anchors—further reducing carbon footprint.
The project “pushes the international boundaries of mass timber construction,” according to Esteban Matheus, an architect with Dialog.
Throughout the buildings, sensors are discreetly installed to measure ongoing data, including moisture, temperature, vibration, as well as stresses on beams, columns, and slabs.
Matheus notes how “data from monitoring the building’s conditions are used in the creation of a ‘material passport’ with technical specifications for each material, including wood source, adhesives, finishes, and grading characteristics.”
At the end of the building’s life, this data, “along with a deconstruction plan and reuse commitment letter from the University, ensures the successful reuse of these materials in future structures.”
The project, set for completion in September 2026, is set to achieve LEED Gold V4 certification as well as the Canadian Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building Standard and is targeting the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification for the High Bay building.