First six-storey condo building completed
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After fire levelled the first attempt at constructing a six-storey wood-frame condominium building a year ago, Quattro Development has completed the first such building in the Lower Mainland, called Quattro3.
“We are proud to lead developers with this new marker for wood-frame construction. It helps keep Quattro3’s home prices more affordable for both homebuyers and investors,” said Charan Sethi, president and CEO of the Tien Sher Group of Companies.
The building, in the Central Surrey area, marks a change in B.C.’s building code, which now allows wood-frame buildings as high as six storeys, from four floors previously.
Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, says six-storey wood-frame buildings are a viable option for residential buildings in Metro Vancouver. “This type of wood-frame construction is not a new idea,” he said. “It has been going on in Europe with great success in recent years.”
“Six-storey wood-frame construction is as safe as any other form of construction because [the] fire code is even more stringent,” said Anne McMullin, president and CEO of the Urban Development Institute. “Clearly it represents a future trend in B.C. construction.”
In May 2011, fire destroyed the first attempt at building a six-storey wood-frame condominium building in Richmond. The five-hour fire that ripped through the Remy was so intense that firefighters were unable to put it out before 251 unfinished condo units collapsed into a smouldering pile. The Oris Developments Ltd. project is being rebuilt. The first phase of the Remy, all wood frame, is expected to complete later this month (November).
Western Investor November 2012