MGA | Michael Green Architecture (project started at Mcfarlane Green Biggar Architecture + Design)
Size6,800 square metres
OwnerRonald McDonald House BC & Yukon
Structural EngineerEquilibrium Consulting Inc.
General ContractorITC Construction Group
Wood SuppliersMercer Mass Timber LLC, Weyerhaeuser (TJI)
Structural systemsHybrid / WoodLight frameLow riseMass timberPrefabricated
Project materialsCross-laminated timber (CLT)Laminated strand lumber (LSL)LumberSiding
SpeciesWestern red cedar
With durable timber construction, Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon has provided an enduring home away from home for up to 70 out-of-town families at a time whose children are receiving treatment at the BC Women’s and Children’s Hospitals.
One of the most important design ambitions was to recreate the nurturing environment and sense of community so crucial for families facing one of life’s greatest emotional challenges. Abundant natural light, exposed wood finishes and built in play equipment—such as the slide that parallels the stairs between the ground and first floor levels—contribute to an atmosphere of cheerful domesticity.
This project set a new benchmark for robust, cost-effective, institutional-grade timber construction, as the first example in the world of a tilt-up cross-laminated timber (CLT) and light-frame wood building system designed for a 100-year service life.
An advanced application of mass-timber construction, it’s composed of a hybrid CLT wall and high-performance light-wood floor system. Laminated strand lumber (LSL) floor ledgers support joists, decking and a concrete topping. The panelized construction allowed for off-site prefabrication, with panels factory-cut to a precise size and fit.
The exterior of the building, which is just steps away from the B.C. Women’s and Children’s Hospitals in central Vancouver, is designed to feel like a home and not a hotel.
It’s a fresh take on more traditional residential motifs. An iron-spot brick façade is punctuated by square-box dormers. Cedar cladding and wood window frames offer a warm contrast to the sleek, steel-grey masonry.
The response was to organize the program into four ‘houses’, each with its own unique identity, with graphics that represent the diverse geography of the province (Beach, Forest, Mountain, River). The houses have six units and a small common area per floor, with a shared kitchen on the ground floor. Each house shares a dining room, living room and courtyard with its neighbour. This creates an intermediate social unit that ultimately connects to the whole complex, in which all 73 families share a common living room. It all blends seamlessly within its warm, contemporary, yet understated interior, offering moments for both quiet reflection and social connection.
“I believe we need to build institutional buildings with their legacy in mind—buildings that should last hundreds of years. The Ronald McDonald House is a great example of wood construction that is built to last. The exterior facade may be brick, but CLT is the vertical strength and light-wood frame is the horizontal. When we think of construction that is built to last, wood and mass timber can serve that role, as a long-lasting legacy material.” MICHAEL GREEN – MGA, MICHAEL GREEN ARCHITECTURE
“I believe we need to build institutional buildings with their legacy in mind—buildings that should last hundreds of years. The Ronald McDonald House is a great example of wood construction that is built to last. The exterior facade may be brick, but CLT is the vertical strength and light-wood frame is the horizontal. When we think of construction that is built to last, wood and mass timber can serve that role, as a long-lasting legacy material.”