Bird awarded Canada’s tallest modular build

Bird Construction is set to build a 14-storey modular residential building in Vancouver. The company has been awarded a construction management services contract for BC Housing’s Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative on East King Edward Avenue.

The $50 million project is part of a joint agreement between the City of Vancouver, B.C. 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 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. It will follow the Passive House green building design standard. The company says the prefabricated modular construction method is expected to reduce construction waste, expedite the construction process, and reduce costs.

The first modular project of this height in Canada, Bird says the volumetric steel modular tower will offer 14 floors of quality units on a rapid, repeatable scale. At the same time, it will allow for customization to meet the community’s needs while creating a look and feel comparable to current purpose-built apartments.

Using off-site design and construction for the units, the modular approach is expected to substantially reduce construction time compared to a traditional build, which will reduce the impact on the local community during construction.

“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.”

One of Canada’s largest construction companies, Bird Construction provides a comprehensive range of construction services from new construction for industrial, commercial, institutional, and civil infrastructure markets; to industrial maintenance, repair and operations services, heavy civil construction, and mine support services; as well as vertical infrastructure including, electrical, mechanical, and specialty trades.

www.bird.ca