District 56 Terminus

Langford, BC

This five-storey office building is the first of the multi-phase District 56 development in the downtown core of Langford, BC. Located on the south end of Vancouver Island — the most earthquake-prone region in Canada — Terminus sets a new precedent for seismic design in North America. As the structural Engineer of Record, ASPECT worked with the project team to select a grid solution for the building that optimized the use of material while maximizing the building’s office space. ASPECT also provided Mass Timber Specialty Engineering for the project, exploring the challenges around the connection design for this building.

Structurally, the top four storeys consist of glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure laid out with a 20-foot by 20- foot grid. This consistent grid layout utilizes an exact multiple of Structurlam’s maximum standard size panels to simplify connection detailing and eliminate the need for secondary beams. ASPECT explored suitability and comparative costs of four possible lateral force resisting systems, resulting in the selection of buckling-restrained braces (BRBs). The final, unique, hybrid system comprised of BRBs in a glulam frame, allowed for carbon savings as well as a warmer, wood interior appearance.

Following a 20-month construction period, the project’s completion represents the City of Langford’s commitment to using mass timber construction to advance their climate change goals. Terminus received the BC Wood WORKS Awards (Commercial – Large category) at the Wood Design Awards 2021-2022.

ArchitectJack James ArchitectStatusCompleted (2021)