First Mid-Rise, Wood-Frame Condo Coming Soon!
By Lucas on Jan 15, 2015
Remember last December when we told you to watch out for mid-rise, wood-frame buildings coming to Ontario? Well, the ball got rolling last week when the City of Burlington hosted the first official forum on six-storey, wood-frame construction.
How will six-storey wood-frame construction affect the new home industry in Ontario? That’s exactly what the forum was about. The provincial government’s decision to amend the Building Code to allow for these types of structures will support intensification in dense urban centres, give builders new construction options, which will give homebuyers more options, and this change could even affect affordability. For example, a smaller infill site in downtown Toronto may be difficult to develop with concrete, but building as high as six storeys with wood presents the industry with new and exciting options. And in many cases, wood is more affordable than concrete, so the savings can be passed onto the homebuyers.
The industry has the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), and the Canadian Wood Council to thank for the Building Code amendment. These three organizations put together an extensive report outlining the benefits of six-storey wood construction. In addition to these organizations, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Tarion Warranty Corporation, the Hamilton-Halton Home Builders’ Association, and the Ontario Building Officials’ Association, as well as builders and developers were in attendance at the forum.
“As part of our ongoing collaboration with the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) we decided the next logical step was to bring all the stakeholders together to have an open discussion about the opportunities and challenges this innovative building practice brings to the community,” said Jason Schmidt-Shoukri, Chief Building Official and Manager of Building Permit and Inspection Services for the City of Burlington, in a recent media release. “As a city that is focusing on intensification, sustainability and affordability, six-storey wood could be a viable building option that supports growth in the community and complements future city building plans for Burlington.”
It’s very fitting that the first official forum was hosted in Burlington because over the last couple years, mid-rise boutique condos have been making waves in the city. Adi Development Group’s two condos, Mod’rn and LINK, have experienced great success, and Branthaven Homes’ Jazz Condos opened to a line up of prospective buyers last fall. These aren’t six-storey wood condos, obviously, but all three have been selling quickly, proving that there is a strong demand for boutique condo living in Burlington. Speaking of LINK, Adi is opening the doors for the grand opening of the second phase (which is over 50% sold from just previewing) on February 7, 2015.
“This is about building consumer confidence. By bringing everyone together –the Chief Building Official, engineers, architects, suppliers, builders and the Tarion Warranty Program – and collaborating to deliver six-storey wood buildings to Ontario, consumers can feel confident that this is a safe, affordable and sustainable choice for new home buyers,” said Joe Vaccaro, CEO of OHBA. “As an industry, we look forward to seeing construction on the first mid-rise wood-frame building in Ontario within the year.”
So, who do you think will build the first six-storey, wood-frame, boutique condo in the GTA? Adi Development is known for offering an affordable condo option with prices way below average for the neighbourhoods in which they’re building. Maybe a larger developer like Tridel or Daniels will bring some wood structures to one of their master-plans. We can’t wait to see which builder of developer comes out with a wood condo this year! Stay tuned - we’ve got our ears to the ground.
