The Government of Alberta is the first jurisdiction in Canada to allow wood-building construction for up to 12 storeys.

While other jurisdictions like British Columbia currently allow local governments to permit 12-storey wood construction in their jurisdiction, Alberta will be the first in Canada to allow the practice province-wide.

Current Alberta and national building codes allow wood building construction for up to six storeys, but the next edition of the National Building Code (NBC), anticipated for publication at the end of this year, will allow the use of tall wood construction with fire-resistant material for up to 12 storeys.

Alberta will issue a notice, based on technical provisions developed for the next edition of NBC, to allow early use of tall wood or mass timber construction for up to 12 storeys using fire-resistant material in time for the upcoming construction season.

“This is a tremendous step forward for Alberta,” said Rory Koska, program director for Wood Works! Alberta. “We have seen tall wood buildings sprouting up around the world. With the innovations in wood construction, building taller with mass wood will provide an economic and environmentally responsible option for builders and developers. This announcement will bring an exciting change to the architectural landscape across Alberta.”