Grandin residents might have noticed something odd about the new condo complex rising out of the ruins of the Grandin mall.
The two towers are the first all-wood structures in northern Alberta that are more than four storeys tall.
About 70 workers are now on site at the old mall hammering together the first phase of Grandin Parc Village. When finished, the dual five-storey buildings will contain some 139 condo units.
Unlike most buildings of this height in Alberta, these two will be made almost completely out of wood, said Stefan Ilic, project manager with Amacon. Alberta only recently changed its regulations to allow wood-frame buildings to exceed four storeys. The first floor of the Grandin complex is made from steel, however.
“This is the first one north of Calgary that’s higher than four storeys,” Ilic said. “We wanted to bring this new higher limit of wood and sustainable construction to St. Albert.”
The province changed its building codes to allow wood-frame buildings to exceed four storeys back in May 2015, said Brock Mulligan, a spokesperson with the Alberta Forest Products Association familiar with the Grandin project.
B.C. has allowed such structures for about a decade, and now has about 300 of them.
“It’s something that’s really important for our industry,” Mulligan said, as it encourages the use of locally produced wood.
Wood has a number of advantages over steel and concrete, Mulligan said. It’s renewable, far less carbon intensive in terms of manufacture and transportation, and costs about 12 per cent to 20 per cent less than other materials. It’s also more resistant to earthquakes, as it’s flexible.
The Grandin condos are made from a mix of conventional and laminated veneer lumber. Ilic said these engineered beams come pre-cut, and provide the strength needed to support the building.
The two Grandin buildings should be finished by November, Ilic said. The rest of the Grandin site, including its proposed 24-storey towers, will be made with conventional concrete and steel.
