Bird Construction has been awarded the tallest ever modular build in Canada. The 14-storey modular project located on East King Edward Avenue in Vancouver is valued at approximately $50 million.
The construction management services contract for BC Housing’s Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative is part of a joint agreement between the City of Vancouver, BC Housing, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to deliver a minimum of 300 permanent supportive homes on five city-owned sites.
The East King Edward Avenue building will consist of 109 studio homes, with the base of the building holding a commercial kitchen, dining room, multi-purpose room, and tenant laundry. The building will be collaboratively operated by Vancouver Native Housing Society and Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society.
The project design was supported by Bird‘s pre-construction design services, with the final design delivered by Stantec and Bird‘s Stack Modular business. The seamless exterior design will include elements that represent Coast Salish and Urban Indigenous Peoples, with the facade highlighted by timber-like panels and blank exterior wall space for culturally themed murals. The building will meet Passive House standards.
As the first modular project of this height in Canada, it will meet Passive House standards and use volumetric modular steel. With off-site design and construction of the units, the modular approach substantially reduces construction time, facilitating faster occupancy than traditional builds and reducing the impact on the local community during construction, while ensuring strict quality control, rigorous safety standards, and significant energy performance in line with Passive House standards.
“We are proud to be selected to provide our forward-leaning accelerated construction method to communities in need of housing. Modular construction is gaining considerable momentum in North America and our Bird Stack team has been actively demonstrating the benefits to build more efficiently and fast-track delivery of important infrastructure to the market,” said Teri McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird. “The strong design partnership, coupled with early engagement and collaboration between the project partners and the community, has ensured this vital housing initiative will move forward.”
