Wood Construction
Sean Hollman from 24 Hours has been reporting on an interesting development in condo construction. The provincial government is amending the BC Building Code to allow for construction up to six storeys, currently it is at 4 storeys. There is some concern about earthquake resistant guidelines as well as the fire safety of these buildings. I can see why adding storeys can affect the earthquake withstanding capabilities, but not sure why a 6 storey wooden building would be any less safe than a 4 storey, other than more material to burn.
One thing is for sure if buyers have a choice most prefer concrete over wood. Buyers who do buy into wood buildings do so because of price and availability. As I said to one buyer who was looking for a condo in Kitsilano, if you have to have concrete, better look downtown.