BC Hydro’s Maple Ridge facility features wood prominently as a cost-conscious, strong, and durable solution.
- The curved roof covers industrial, office, and external vehicle and equipment storage areas.
- The wood roof was developed in consultation with the fabricator and installer.
- A growing population required additional electrical service with extra workers and maintenance space.
The residents of rapidly growing Maple Ridge, a suburban municipality on the eastern edge of Metro Vancouver, had electrical needs that could only be met with a new BC Hydro facility. BC Hydro, the province’s electrical utility, commissioned the building as a base for the crews in the area who provide operations and maintenance that could also serve as a post-disaster operations centre after a major seismic event.
Exposed composite trusses are a central feature
The wood fabricator and installer helped develop the high-performance, LEED-certified building. The high bay, or tall ceiling, industrial areas are clear spanned. A series of bow-shaped trusses are the supports, made from curved glue-laminated (glulam) timber top chord (the top part of the truss) and steel tensile components. Some of the curved glulam beams are exposed on the exterior of the building, used as landscape trellis frames and/or shading elements. The exterior is clad in wood siding, giving a stylish look to what is traditionally considered a highly utilitarian structure.