PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – B.C. Premier Christy Clark has announced a $4.5-million joint federal-provincial investment in a new facility that will accelerate innovation in timber engineering and the development of wood products at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George.
"New and updated buildings such as the wood research lab at UNBC will soon be seen throughout British Columbia, because they’re long-lasting, more energy efficient and are tangible examples of the world-leading innovation taking place here in Prince George," said Clark during the Natural Resources Forum in Prince George recently.
Of the $4.5-million investment, $1.88 million will come from the Government of Canada and $2.62 million will be provided by the province.
The City of Prince George is providing land for the facility in downtown Prince George, adjacent to the Wood Innovation and Design Centre.
The Wood Innovation Research Lab will be used by students in the master of engineering in integrated wood design program and the B.C. leadership chair in tall wood and hybrid structures engineering.
"In the two years since the Wood Innovation Design Centre opened in Prince George, UNBC has developed an innovative master of engineering in integrated wood design that incorporates structural and sustainable design, wood science and wood processing," said Daniel Weeks, UNBC president, in a statement. "This new building is a welcome investment in the future of Northern B.C. Its amenities will enable UNBC students and researchers to test theories and develop new, marketable products that contribute to B.C.’s reputation as a leader in wood construction."
The one-storey, 9,680-square-foot building will create a state-of-the-art wood-engineering research facility. The new building will expand possibilities for collaboration with external researchers and industry by providing unique capabilities for testing and researching wood structures, explains a release. It will include a wood conditioning and processing room, office and seminar/classroom space and a research lab that can also be used for teaching.
Construction will meet requirements under the Wood First Act and will incorporate a high-performance building envelope that strives for Passive House certification. Structures built to this certification may cut their heating energy consumption by up to 90 per cent and overall energy consumption between 60 per cent and 70 per cent.
The new lab will provide additional dedicated research and classroom space for UNBC, which currently occupies the first three floors of the adjacent Wood Innovation and Design Centre that opened in October 2014.
Funding for the new lab will be allocated through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund.
Construction is slated to get underway in early 2017, generating 15 direct and 11 indirect jobs, with substantial completion expected by spring 2018.
UNBC has campuses in Prince George, Quesnel, Terrace and Fort St. John. Approximately 4,000 students enrol in programs annually.
The Province of B.C. is planning to build a $4.5-million Wood Innovation Research Lab. The one-storey, 9,680-square-foot building will create a state-of-the-art wood-engineering research facility. Construction is slated to get underway in early 2017, generating 15 direct and 11 indirect jobs, with substantial completion expected by spring 2018.
Photo: Province of B.C."
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